While all eyes are on Donald Trump, who promised the largest deportation in American history, the Biden administration continues to break records for the deportation of immigrants without proper legal documents in the United States.
In its latest annual report, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) revealed a significant increase in deportations, reaching the highest level in a decade.
Over a 12-month period ending September 30, 2024, ICE deported 271,484 people to 192 countries. These figures represent more than double the number of deportations during the same period the previous year which was 142,580 in 2023.
The number of deportations represents ICE’s highest activity since 2014, when 315,943 people were deported.
During Trump’s first term, the highest annual number of deportations reached 267,258 in 2019.
The current increase reflects the agency’s renewed efforts under the Biden administration, with a focus on operational efficiency and logistical coordination.
The rise in deportations was largely facilitated by increased flight operations, including weekend schedules and expedited travel arrangements to countries such as Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.
In addition, ICE carried out major deportations to other countries, notably China, marking its first large-scale deportation flight to that country in six years.
The flights also extended to Albania, Angola, Egypt, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Mauritania, Romania, Senegal, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Parallel to the wave of deportations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported a dramatic drop in arrests for illegal border crossings. In November 2024, 46,612 arrests were made, a drop of 18% from the previous month and a reduction of over 80% from the record 250,000 arrests reached in December 2023.
Two factors contributed significantly to this drop:
- Intensified Mexican crackdown: Mexican authorities tightened internal controls, resulting in a 50% reduction in border crossings.
- Tight U.S. asylum restrictions: Introduced by President Joe Biden in June 2024, these policies further halved border arrests.
Mexico was the main recipient of expulsions, with 87,298 removals. Guatemala (66,435) and Honduras (45,923) followed, reflecting long-standing migration patterns and logistical ease. Central American countries, as well as Mexico, have shown a greater willingness to welcome their nationals, facilitating ICE’s deportation procedures.
While hundreds of Haitian immigrants have been deported, Haiti is not at the top of the list, according to data published by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
For the fiscal year ending September 2024, only 559 Haitians were arrested, including in Miami, Boston, and Newark, among others.In terms of arrests followed by detentions, 2,346 Haitians are among the 302,742 people detained nationwide.
In addition, 792 Haitian citizens were repatriated to Haiti, according to the U.S. Immigration Service.
Miami, Harlingen, Houston, Atlanta, and San Antonio are among the main cities where Haitian nationals have been apprehended by customs agents.
These figures are down sharply from 2023, when more than 17,000 people were turned back to Haiti from the U.S., according to ICE data.
Although ICE recorded a record number of deportations, it still faces significant limitations, particularly in terms of detention capacity and staffing.
Over the same 12-month period, the agency detained an average of 37,700 people per day, a figure capped by Congressional funding.
Detention capacity is about to become a critical hurdle in Trump’s mass deportation plans, and he can count on the governor of Texas to propose the use of rural land as transit zones for detention and processing.
However, ICE’s staffing levels have not increased in proportion to its workload, which has risen from 6.1 million people in one year to 7.6 million people tracked by immigration courts.
Despite this increase, ICE’s enforcement and deportation unit has maintained a stable workforce of around 6,000 agents over the past decade.
These numbers are certain to increase dramatically under the administration of Donald Trump, who has promised the most sweeping and aggressive deportation policy in American history.
Drop in domestic arrests
Arrests inside the United States have fallen considerably, with ICE making 113,431 arrests in the most recent fiscal year, down 34% from 170,590 the previous year. The decline reflects the agency’s need to prioritize resources at the U.S.-Mexico border, reducing the focus on arrests in the rest of the country.
ICE’s operational expansion has been accompanied by substantial financial implications.
Deportation flights and detention centers are costly undertakings, all the more so as the agency extends its reach to distant countries.
The Biden administration’s simplified travel procedures for deportees to Central America have reduced some costs, but daily detention fees remain a controversial issue.
The financial burden, combined with ICE’s limited staff and detention capacity, raises questions about the sustainability of expanded deportation programs under Trump’s proposed immigration policies.
Trump’s approach to immigration enforcement is likely to build on existing programs while coming under scrutiny for its broader implications. The next steps in immigration policy will require balancing operational efficiency with ethical considerations and taking into account the considerable impacts on individuals and communities.
Sources
Associated Press (AP): “Immigration agency deports most people since 2014, thanks to increased number of flights.”
Data from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).