Mexico: US Border Czar Says Nearly 200,000 Migrants Were Arrested in Four Months
MIGRATION · MEXICO
Key Facts
- —The country Mexico has the largest immigrant community in the United States, and its consulates follow US enforcement closely.
- —What happened On 1 October 2026 the US border czar, Tom Homan, said immigration agents made nearly 200,000 arrests inside the US in four months (EFE, Univision).
- —The numbers August alone brought almost 51,000 arrests, Homan said. In a CBS interview reported on 2 October, he said slightly under half of those arrested had no criminal charges or convictions.
- —What it means for you Homan said a lack of criminal record does not exempt anyone. In April, President Claudia Sheinbaum ordered Mexican consular staff to visit ICE detention centres daily.
- —Still open Homan gave no breakdown by nationality, so the number of Mexicans among those arrested is unknown. The figures come from a speech and an interview, not published ICE data.
The US border czar, Tom Homan, said on Thursday 1 October that immigration agents made nearly 200,000 arrests inside the US in four months. He called the figure unprecedented and promised that deportations would intensify in 2027.
Mexico has the largest immigrant community in the United States, so the claim is followed closely in Mexico City. Homan gave no breakdown by nationality, and the figures have not been matched against published ICE data.
What the US border czar said in Doral
Homan spoke at the Hispanic Leadership Conference of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a think tank aligned with President Donald Trump. The event was held in Doral, Florida, which has the highest share of Venezuelan residents of any US city.
“In the last four months, almost 200,000 arrests in the interior. That is unprecedented,” Homan said, in the Spanish rendering of the news agency EFE. He said June, July and August each set a record, with August reaching almost 51,000 arrests.
He predicted that September would bring more deportations than any month in the history of ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement). He also said ICE still had to hire about 2,000 more officers.
Criminal records and the pace of removals
In a separate interview with the US broadcaster CBS, Homan repeated the 200,000 figure, Univision reported on 2 October. He credited more resources, new hiring, better technology and more precise selection of targets.
Asked about “the worst of the worst”, the US border czar acknowledged that slightly under half of those arrested are not criminals. They have no charges or convictions beyond being in the country illegally, he said.
Homan added that removals can lag behind arrests because of court orders, lawsuits and countries that are slow to accept returnees. That gap means the arrest count is not the same as the number of people deported.
Pushback, including from Republicans
The speech drew criticism in South Florida. Representative María Elvira Salazar, a Miami Republican, said in a campaign advert that Trump’s migration policy had gone too far, EFE reported.
Representative Mario Díaz-Balart, also a Miami Republican, told Telemundo on Thursday that the policy has been excessive. Homan dismissed the criticism, saying many people in the country hate him and that he does not care.
Mexico’s consular response
Mexico has pressed Washington for months over the treatment of its citizens in ICE custody. In April, the Mexican government said at least 15 Mexicans had died in ICE custody or during enforcement operations since January 2025.
President Claudia Sheinbaum then ordered consular staff to visit detention centres daily instead of weekly, Posta reported on 14 April. She said Washington had not given specific answers on each case.
That consular network is the main safety net for Mexicans detained in the United States. Washington has also widened its removal options elsewhere. See Burundi Agrees to Accept US Third-Country Deportees and ICE Officials Hold Security and Repatriation Talks in Guatemala as US Trade Ties Deepen.
What Is Not Yet Known
It is unclear how many of the nearly 200,000 people arrested are Mexican citizens. The figures were given in a speech and a television interview, not in a published ICE dataset.
It is also unknown how many of those arrested have already been deported. Homan gave no deportation figure for September, and Mexico’s government had not commented on his numbers by Saturday morning.
Sources: EFE via Infobae, “Zar de la frontera resalta récord de 200.000 arrestos migratorios en EEUU en foro hispano”, 2 October 2026; N+ Univision, “ICE suma 200,000 arrestos en cuatro meses”, 2 October 2026; Posta, on Mexican deaths in ICE custody, 14 April 2026; Anchorage Daily News, “Sheinbaum orders increased scrutiny of US detention centers”, April 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief