ICE deportations catch up to Trump-era numbers in FY 2024 as Biden admin comes to a close

In Fiscal Year 2024, deportations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reached levels not seen since the Trump administration. The annual ICE report revealed that 271,484 illegal immigrants were deported to 192 different countries, with 32.7% having criminal histories and 237 being known or suspected terrorists.

This marked a significant increase from the previous fiscal year, where around 142,000 were deported, and even more so from FY 2022, which saw approximately 72,000 deportations. During the last year of the Trump administration in FY 2020, there were around 185,000 deportations, while FY 2019 recorded 267,000 deportations.

However, it’s important to note that these numbers include removals of individuals encountered by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the border, which typically make up the majority of ICE deportations. When focusing on removals of those arrested in the interior by ICE itself, only 47,000 illegal immigrants were deported in FY 2024, compared to 44,255 in the previous fiscal year and 28,204 in FY 2022.

ICE cited resource strains due to shifting staff and attention to the southern border to address the migrant crisis, as well as an increase in the number of individuals released into the interior. This led to a decrease in arrests by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in FY 2024.

Looking ahead, both ICE arrests and deportations of those arrested by ICE are expected to increase under the next administration, which plans to lift restrictions imposed during the Biden administration and launch a mass deportation campaign.

The report also highlighted the surge in the number of illegal immigrants on ICE’s non-detained docket, which has nearly doubled since the end of the Trump administration, reaching nearly 7.7 million in FY 2024. This docket includes individuals in deportation proceedings who are not in ICE custody but may be in other forms of monitoring.

Despite the influx of over 500,000 unaccompanied migrant children into the U.S. during the Biden administration, only 411 were removed in FY 2024, up from 212 in FY 2023. This contrasts with over 4,000 removals in FY 2022.

Overall, the challenges and complexities of immigration enforcement continue to be a focal point for policymakers and agencies like ICE. As the landscape evolves, it will be crucial to find a balance between enforcing immigration laws and upholding humanitarian values.