Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has deported nearly 200,000 people in the first seven months of President Donald Trump’s administration, according to a senior Homeland Security official. The agency is now on pace to reach its highest removal rate in more than a decade, though still short of Trump’s stated target.
Deportation Totals Rising
Since Trump returned to office in January, nearly 350,000 deportations have been recorded across all federal agencies. That figure includes removals conducted by ICE, repatriations by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Coast Guard, as well as individuals who chose to self-deport.
Between October 2024 and the end of December, ICE had already carried out roughly 71,400 deportations. If the current pace continues, the agency could surpass 300,000 removals by the end of fiscal year 2025, which closes on September 30. The last time deportation numbers reached that level was in 2014 under President Barack Obama, when removals totaled about 316,000.
The Trump administration has relied on multiple federal agencies to strengthen enforcement nationwide, with heightened activity in major cities including Los Angeles and Washington, DC. CBP has reported more than 132,000 deportations so far this year, while about 17,500 people have left voluntarily. Combined with ICE’s actions, deportations are nearing 350,000 in Trump’s second term.
A senior Department of Homeland Security official defended the surge, pointing to resistance in the courts. “In the face of a historic number of injunctions from activist judges, ICE, CBP, and the U.S. Coast Guard have made historic progress,” the official said, adding that undocumented migrants “are hearing our message to leave now or face the consequence.”
Challenges to Trump’s Deportation Goals
Despite the rise in deportations, administration officials remain frustrated. Interior arrests, while roughly double those under the Biden administration, have hovered between 1,000 and 2,000 per day — short of the White House’s goal of 3,000.
Trump campaigned on a mass deportation plan with a stated goal of one million removals annually. While the pace has accelerated, carrying out deportations on such a scale has proven difficult due to limits on personnel and resources.
Historic Funding Boost for ICE
ICE is preparing to expand operations after receiving a major cash infusion under Trump’s agenda bill signed earlier this year. The legislation provides the agency with nearly $75 billion through 2029, making it the most well-funded police force in the federal government.
Of that total, about $45 billion will go toward expanding immigration detention centers, while another $30 billion will fund enforcement and removal operations. The money is expected to strengthen ICE’s ability to arrest undocumented immigrants and move them into detention.
Alongside stricter enforcement, DHS has promoted voluntary departure through ad campaigns and incentives. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem praised these efforts during a White House Cabinet meeting this week, crediting Trump’s “strong message” for convincing some migrants to leave on their own.
What The Author Thinks
The deportation numbers show Trump’s administration is moving aggressively, but they also highlight the gap between political promises and operational reality. Removing one million people per year is a staggering goal that stretches beyond the capacity of existing systems, even with record funding. The expanded budget may fuel short-term spikes in arrests and detentions, but structural challenges — from court backlogs to labor shortages — mean mass deportations will likely remain more of a campaign message than a fully achievable outcome.
Featured image credit: NPR
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