U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement made 357 arrests in the Austin area in July, the highest monthly total in nearly four years of available data, according to an analysis of government records released through a public-records request. The arrests rose from 132 in May to 324 in June, then reached 357 in July — 110% above July 2025. Through July, ICE had made 1,357 arrests in the area, nearly matching the 1,498 recorded for all of 2025. August and September figures were not available when the analysis was completed. The data, published by the Deportation Data Project, came from ICE records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. The project’s coding classifies people with no charges or convictions as “other immigration violators.” That group accounted for 70% of Austin arrests in July; people with prior convictions and people with pending criminal charges each represented about 15%. ICE disputed the reliability of the analysis, saying the released information had not been reviewed or audited by the agency and that it had not verified the project’s methods or results. The agency said its enforcement targets public-safety threats and that it enforces federal law in Austin. The rise comes amid heightened attention to ICE operations in the city, including after a September incident in which federal agents shot and injured DoorDash driver Wilber Rafael Garces Perez in north Austin. At a news conference after the shooting, U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, a Democrat representing Texas, called for ICE to end what he described as a surge in the community. Austin’s average monthly arrest rate so far this year was 19.33 per 100,000 residents, lower than Dallas’ 49.34 and San Antonio’s 45.86, but slightly above Houston’s 18.74. Austin’s 2025 rate was lower than those three cities, though it had increased 41% from 2024. The figures also show little interaction between Austin police and ICE during the first half of the year. The Austin Police Department changed its policies on when officers contact federal agents in March; department data recorded few interactions during the first six months. In one case illustrating the consequences of an arrest, ICE detained Yamileth Meza Chavez in June and released her to her family in late September. Her lawyer said she qualified for cancellation of removal after showing she had no disqualifying criminal history. ICE said Meza Chavez was detained after she interfered in her son’s arrest. Texas lawmakers have also expanded local law enforcement’s role in immigration enforcement. Senate Bill 8 requires counties with populations over 100,000 to enter cooperation agreements with ICE under the federal 287(g) program. The 2026 arrest data remains incomplete, and ICE has not verified the analysis.