WASHINGTON: Newly released data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shows that President Donald Trump deported 37,660 individuals in his first month back in office. This figure is significantly lower than the monthly average of 57,000 deportations and returns recorded in the final full year of Joe Biden’s administration.
Officials and immigration experts predict, however, that deportations will increase in the coming months as Trump expands enforcement measures.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin suggested that Biden-era deportation figures were “artificially high” due to a surge in illegal immigration.
Trump had campaigned on a pledge to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history, vowing to remove millions of undocumented immigrants. Yet, the latest figures indicate that his administration may struggle to match the high deportation rates seen under Biden, when large numbers of migrants were apprehended at the border, making removals easier.
Leadership Shakeup and Expanded Deportation Efforts
In an effort to accelerate removals, Trump reassigned acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Caleb Vitello on Friday, citing unmet expectations, according to a senior administration official and other sources.
The administration is also securing agreements with Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, and Costa Rica to accept deportees from other countries. Additionally, the U.S. military has conducted multiple deportation flights to nations such as Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, and India.
Notably, Venezuelan migrants have been transported to the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, where Trump has suggested up to 30,000 migrants could be detained. Civil liberties groups have opposed this move.
Security analyst Adam Isacson from the Washington Office on Latin America noted that the Pentagon’s extensive resources could further expand military-assisted deportations.
Changes in Immigration Enforcement
The Trump administration is taking steps to facilitate the detention and removal of undocumented immigrants, including those without criminal records.
Last month, the Justice Department reversed a Biden-era policy by authorizing ICE officers to conduct arrests at immigration courts.
Additionally, the U.S. State Department has designated Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and seven other criminal organizations as terrorist groups. Under immigration law, this designation allows authorities to deport individuals suspected of being affiliated with these organizations.
ICE is also reallocating agents from its investigative unit, along with personnel from the Justice Department, IRS, and State Department, to enhance enforcement efforts.
Jessica Vaughan, a policy director at the Center for Immigration Studies, a group that advocates for stricter immigration policies, said these investigative agents could help crack down on employers hiring undocumented workers and individuals with outstanding deportation orders.
“These cases take more time and planning,” Vaughan explained. “Workplace operations, for example, require extensive investigations before arrests can be made.”
Arrest and Detention Challenges
In the first three weeks of Trump’s presidency, ICE arrested approximately 14,000 individuals, according to former border czar Tom Homan. This equates to around 667 arrests per day—double last year’s daily average but still falling short of Trump’s campaign promise of millions of deportations.
Initially, ICE arrests surged to 800–1,200 per day in Trump’s first week, but numbers declined as detention centers reached capacity and officers shifted their focus to targeted operations.
ICE detention space remains a limiting factor. The agency currently holds around 41,100 detainees, close to its funding capacity of 41,500 beds.
Among the 19,000 detainees arrested by ICE, roughly 2,800 had no prior criminal record—an increase from 858 in mid-January before Trump took office. The remaining 22,000 were apprehended at the border by U.S. authorities.
Congressional Battle Over Immigration Funding
The Republican-led Senate recently approved a $340 billion spending package over four years for border security, deportations, energy policy changes, and military expansion. However, the party remains divided over how to allocate the funds, as Trump pushes for the package to include tax cuts.
