More than 3 million illegal immigrants have left the US under Trump, DHS reports
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President Donald Trump’s first year in office has seen more than 3 million illegal immigrants leave the United States, including an estimated 2.2 million “deportations,” according to figures shared with Fox News Digital by the Department of Homeland Security.
The DHS said the administration has also deported nearly 900,000 illegal immigrants and detained more than 900,000 others since May 17, citing the numbers as evidence that Trump’s immigration crackdown is reshaping migration patterns after recording illegal crossings during former President Joe Biden’s administration.
“In President Trump’s first year in office, more than three million illegal aliens left the US as a result of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, including the deportation of an estimated 2.2 million people,” a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
The administration has continuously promoted self-deportation through the CBP Home program, which allows immigrants to voluntarily leave the country with travel assistance and financial support.
DHS DEFENDS AD BLITZ AMID SENATE SCRUTINY, SAYS CAMPAIGN COST 2.2M DISCOUNTS AND SAVED PAYERS $39B
The logo of the US Department of Homeland Security and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement appears on a smartphone screen with a US flag displayed on a laptop screen in Athens, Greece, on Feb. 3, 2026. (Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto)
DHS says the program is far less expensive than traditional deportation proceedings and is designed to encourage illegal immigrants to leave voluntarily.
The figures come as the administration faces a sharp drop in illegal crossings and what officials describe as an end to “catch and release” policies at the southern border.
Last week, US Customs and Border Protection said the Border Patrol had gone a year without releasing illegal immigrants directly into the US after being detained at the border.
SOUTHERN ARRESTS UP MORE THAN 90% FROM LAST YEAR IN APRIL, CBP SAYS
CBP said the Border Patrol recorded about 8,943 people at the southwest border in April, a 94% decrease from the monthly average of the Biden administration and 96% below the December 2023 peak.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said last week that “the days of catch and release are over,” arguing that the administration’s enforcement policies prevent immigrants from trying to enter the country illegally.
The administration also pointed to increased ICE enforcement, tighter asylum restrictions and increased internal enforcement as factors contributing to what officials described as a broader deterrence effect.
Markwayne Mullin, secretary of Homeland Security, speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, on March 26, 2026. (Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Immigration analysts say the administration’s enforcement has clearly reduced illegal crossings, although others dispute how DHS identifies some of the numbers tied to immigration deportations and removals.
Alec Schemmel of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
