Trump struggles to outpace Biden’s deportation numbers: Is his immigration crackdown failing?

Washington D.C.: In his first month back in office, President Donald Trump deported 37,660 migrants, according to Reuters. While this figure is significant, it falls well below the monthly average of 57,000 removals and returns recorded in the final year of former President Joe Biden’s administration, as per the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). During his campaign, Trump vowed to deport millions of undocumented immigrants as part of the most extensive deportation operation in U.S. history. However, early data suggests he may struggle to surpass Biden’s deportation rates, especially since the previous administration saw a surge in illegal crossings, making removals more feasible.

Trump Administration Calls Biden’s Numbers ‘Artificially High’

A senior Trump official stated that deportation numbers are expected to rise in the coming months as the administration enacts new policies to ramp up arrests and removals. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin argued that Biden-era deportation statistics were "artificially high" due to record levels of illegal immigration. Sources told Reuters that the administration’s efforts will gain momentum with agreements from Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, and Costa Rica to accept deportees from other nations.

Military-Assisted Deportations & Guantanamo Bay Detentions

Since Trump’s return to office on January 20, the U.S. military has conducted over a dozen deportation flights to Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, and even India, Reuters reported. Additionally, Venezuelan migrants have been flown to the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay. Trump announced plans in late January to detain up to 30,000 migrants at the Guantanamo Bay facility, despite resistance from civil rights organizations.

Expanding ICE Powers for Faster Deportations

The administration is also working to accelerate deportations by easing restrictions on the arrest of migrants without criminal records and expanding detention for those with final deportation orders. In a significant policy shift, the Justice Department issued a directive last month allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to arrest migrants at U.S. immigration courts, reversing a Biden-era policy that restricted such detentions.