ICE Removals Hit 56,000 As Interior Raids Spur Protests — DHS Risks Losing The Enforcement Narrative

CIS commentary argues DHS has strong enforcement results — steep declines in Southwest border apprehensions and 56,000+ ICE removals so far in FY26 — but is ceding the public narrative amid backlash to named interior operations like “Operation Midway Blitz” and “Operation Charlotte’s Web.” The piece cites detention data showing many detainees have criminal histories or final removal orders and urges DHS to proactively communicate tactics and goals to counter claims of random sweeps and profiling.