The Department of Homeland Security announced Monday that more than 527,000 illegal aliens have been deported so far this year under the leadership of President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, marking one of the most significant enforcement efforts in U.S. history.
According to DHS, a total of more than 2 million illegal aliens have departed the country since January, including roughly 1.6 million who voluntarily self-deported and another 527,000 who were formally removed through Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
“The Trump Administration is on pace to shatter historic records and deport nearly 600,000 illegal aliens by the end of President Donald Trump’s first year since returning to office,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement. “President Trump and Secretary Noem have jump-started an agency that was hamstrung and barred from doing its job for the last four years.”
McLaughlin credited renewed cooperation between ICE, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Department of Homeland Security for the surge in removals. She also noted a dramatic drop in illegal crossings, stating that migration through Panama’s Darien Gap, one of the main routes used by migrants heading north, has decreased by 99.99% compared to the previous year.
Despite ongoing protests and pushback from sanctuary city officials, ICE and CBP agents have continued to carry out arrests and deportations of criminal offenders across the country. DHS reports that 70% of recent ICE arrests involve individuals charged with or convicted of serious crimes, including homicide, sexual assault, and drug trafficking.
“Rioters and sanctuary politicians have not deterred ICE or CBP in their mission to protect the homeland,” McLaughlin said. “Day in and day out, DHS law enforcement is removing the worst of the worst from our communities.”
The agency also highlighted an expansion of its CBP Home App, which allows eligible illegal aliens to arrange voluntary departure. As part of the initiative, DHS is still offering the $1,000 and a free flight to self-deport, which has been ongoing during most of the Trump Administration, emphasizing that those who comply may later apply to return legally.
“We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right, legal way to live the American dream,” the agency said. “If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”
The announcement underscores a renewed emphasis on law and order and border security, as President Trump’s administration moves to fulfill campaign promises to restore control of the U.S. border and prioritize the removal of criminal illegal aliens.
