ICE Enforcement Surge Reported in California: What Residents Should Know

Reports this week describe a new federal immigration enforcement operation in California, beginning in San Diego and expected to move north. According to the Washington Examiner, citing unnamed sources, the effort is called Operation Safe California and is expected to last at least 45 days. Federal officials have not publicly confirmed the details, and DHS did not respond to requests for comment from NBC 7 San Diego. Some reports say the operation could reach Los Angeles County and continue toward San Francisco by November.

The numbers behind this are already large. ICE data obtained by the Deportation Data Project at UC Berkeley and UCLA shows that ICE arrested nearly 2,000 people in San Diego and Imperial counties in July 2026, up from about 1,300 in June. That is the highest monthly total so far during President Trump’s second term. ICE reports its data by Area of Responsibility rather than by county, so the figure covers both counties together. The same data shows that about 60 percent of those arrested in July had no criminal convictions or pending charges. Those figures are the reason this reporting has drawn attention, and they are a reminder that enforcement is not limited to people with criminal records.

If you have a pending application, a prior removal order, or any prior encounter with immigration authorities, the risk analysis is different. A pending application does not by itself stop enforcement, and a prior removal order can be executed regardless of a new filing. Before you file, or as soon as you have contact with ICE, have your file reviewed.

This post is provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Individual circumstances vary, and anyone affected by this rule should speak with an immigration attorney about their specific case.