Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted a 14-day enforcement operation in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region that resulted in the custody of thousands of illegal aliens.

Posted by VINCE, Aug 25, 2026Checked Nov 2, 2026

Polygraph verdictTrue

Sources: 5 support3 context
Said: 1 time·
Confidence: 75%

VINCEAug 25, 2026

DHS's primary release confirms ICE's two-week 'Operation Safe Community – Washington, D.C.' ran August 1–14 and produced 1,328 arrests across Virginia and Maryland, which fits 'thousands' loosely. The figure is just over one thousand rather than several thousand, and the operation was concentrated in the D.C. suburbs of those two states, but no source contradicts the core claim.

What we found

Supports. DHS's primary release states that an ICE enhanced enforcement operation in Virginia and Maryland, run August 1 to 14, resulted in 1,328 illegal alien arrests.[3]

Supports. Multiple outlets, including CBS Baltimore and WTVR, report the same DHS figure of 1,328 arrests over the two-week operation in Virginia and Maryland.[4][5][6][7]

Context. The 1,328 figure is just over one thousand, so 'thousands' is loose phrasing; the post's 'thousands upon thousands' is hyperbole. The operation was also described as focused on the D.C. suburbs of Virginia and Maryland, with arrests throughout both states.[3][8]

Context. Reuters and AP report national ICE arrest totals for August of about 51,000, which is a separate nationwide figure and does not bear on the regional operation's count.[1][2]