President Donald Trump’s administration has reported that 400,000 non-citizens have been deported since he took office in January, projecting a total of 600,000 deportations by the end of the year. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also estimates that 1.6 million non-citizens have self-deported during this period.
“The Trump administration is on pace to shatter historic records,” according to DHS.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated, “(Two) million illegal aliens have been removed or self-deported in just 250 days — proving that President Trump’s policies and Secretary (Kristi) Noem’s leadership are working and making American communities safe.”
Comparing these numbers with previous administrations shows a notable increase. In fiscal year 2024, under former President Joe Biden, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported about 271,000 non-citizens. This was higher than any other year during Biden’s term as well as all four years of Trump’s first term.
During the first seven months of Trump’s current term, ICE deported nearly 200,000 non-citizens. This puts his administration on track for a record rate of removals compared to prior years.
However, when considering broader repatriation figures—which include not only ICE deportations but also those conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection—the picture becomes more complex. According to Kathleen Bush-Joseph from the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), these data sets include removals, enforcement returns, administrative returns, and Title 42 expulsions.
“Removals are only one type of deportation, which is not a legally defined category,” MPI noted. “Returns constitute the other major type, typically occurring at the U.S. border or a lawful port of entry.”
Bush-Joseph analyzed recent DHS data and wrote: “For reference, in fiscal year 2024, the Biden admin deported 685,000 (non-citizens),” combining removals and enforcement returns—a figure higher than the projected total for this year under Trump. When including administrative returns such as people turned away at airports or ports of entry, she said this number rises to over 777,000.
It remains unclear whether current DHS figures combine both removals and returns; a spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for clarification.
Bush-Joseph added that there has been an increase in arrests within the U.S., noting: “The difference with Trump is more people being arrested in the U.S. interior than before.”
This shift aligns with reports from NBC News showing fewer unauthorized crossings at the southern border and Reuters reporting daily ICE arrests up by 250% in June compared to last year. Despite statements about focusing on individuals with criminal records, ICE data indicates an increase in detentions among non-criminals as well.
As of September 11th, there were over 58,000 migrants held in ICE detention centers nationwide—about half facing criminal convictions or pending charges—according to NBC News.
The expanded detention program has faced legal challenges across federal courts; several judges have ruled aspects illegal while White House officials maintain operations comply with existing laws.
Looking ahead, further increases in enforcement are expected following congressional approval of additional funding for immigration measures.
“DHS is just getting started thanks to President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill,” DHS said via press release,“which is surging hiring efforts and turbocharging the arrests and deportations of illegal aliens.”
This story was originally published September 25th at 2:32 PM.
