US deportations of immigrants rose in the past year to the highest level since 2014, according to a U.S. government report released on Thursday, part of a broader push by outgoing President Joe Biden to reduce illegal immigration, Reuters reported.
According to the agency’s annual enforcement report, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported 271,000 immigrants to 192 countries in fiscal year 2024, ending on Sept. 30.
According to U.S. government statistics, the tally was the highest since Biden took office in 2021 and surpassed any year during President Donald Trump’s 2017-2021 administration.
Biden, a Democrat, assumed office with a promise to reverse Trump’s more restrictive immigration policies but faced challenges with high levels of illegal immigration and eventually adopted a tougher enforcement approach. Trump, a Republican, won a second term in the White House in November, vowing to deport record numbers of immigrants living illegally in the U.S. as part of a broader crackdown on immigration.
Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that Biden’s deportations were minimal in comparison to the record levels of illegal immigration during his presidency.
“On day one, President Trump will fix the immigration and national security nightmare that Joe Biden created by launching the largest mass deportation operation of illegal criminals in United States history,” she said.
According to government and think tank estimates, some 11 million immigrants lacked legal status or had temporary protections in 2022, a figure that some analysts now place at 13 million to 14 million, Reuters reported.
Reuters reported last month that the incoming Trump administration plans to tap resources across the federal government to power the planned deportation initiative.
Trump tried to increase deportations during his first term with limited success. ICE removed 267,000 immigrants in fiscal year 2019, fewer than most years under Trump’s Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama.
In fiscal year 2023, Biden’s deportations and returns to Mexico by U.S. border authorities surpassed those of any year under Trump.
On day one, President Trump will fix the immigration and national security nightmare that Joe Biden created by launching the largest mass deportation operation of illegal criminals in United States history.
Although deportations increased in fiscal year 2024, the number of ICE arrests of immigrants living illegally in the U.S. dropped by 33% compared to the previous year. The agency’s annual report attributed this decline to more officers being assigned to assist with border security operations.
(With inputs from Reuters)
