U.S. deportations of immigrants increased in the past year to their highest level since 2014, according to a government report released Thursday, reflecting President Joe Biden’s efforts to address illegal immigration.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported approximately 271,000 immigrants to 192 countries in fiscal year 2024, ending on September 30. This figure marks the highest deportation total since Biden assumed office in 2021 and exceeds any year of President Donald Trump’s administration from 2017 to 2021, based on official statistics.
Biden, a Democrat, initially aimed to reverse Trump’s stringent immigration policies but faced persistent challenges with illegal border crossings, leading to a stricter enforcement stance over time. Trump, a Republican who secured another presidential term in November, has vowed to implement a record-breaking deportation campaign as part of an aggressive immigration crackdown.
Estimates from government agencies and think tanks indicated around 11 million immigrants lacked legal status or had temporary protections in 2022, a number now believed to have risen to 13-14 million.
Reuters reported last month that Trump’s incoming administration intends to utilize federal resources extensively to carry out its deportation plans. During his first term, Trump sought to increase removals but faced limited success, with ICE deporting 267,000 immigrants in fiscal 2019—fewer than during most years under President Barack Obama.
When combining deportations by ICE and voluntary returns to Mexico overseen by U.S. border officials, Biden’s administration recorded more removals in fiscal 2023 than in any Trump-era year.
Despite the rise in deportations for fiscal year 2024, ICE reported a 33% decline in arrests of immigrants residing illegally within the U.S. The agency attributed this decrease to officers being reassigned to support border security operations.
