Some of the executive orders issued by the President of the United States of America (POTUS) Donald Trump during the first week of his second presidency have sparked widespread debate especially the one around immigration. As per the data from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of the U.S., an average of over 200,000 illegal migrants were deported to their respective countries between 2013-14 and 2023-24.
Some of the executive orders issued by the President of the United States of America (POTUS) Donald Trump during the first week of his second presidency have sparked widespread debate, and also criticism. These include his orders around pardon, and immigration among others.
Some of these orders such as the declaration of national emergency at the southern borders of the country, realignment of refugee admission programme, securing national borders, revisiting American citizenship, etc. — all issued on 20 January 2025, the very first day of his second presidency — have not only created panic among many people living in USA but also resulted in the deportation of hundreds of people of other nationalities deemed as illegal migrants (aliens).
To enforce these orders and expedite deportations, the administration has expanded the role of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while involving other federal departments. Authorities have launched mass deportation operations aimed at identifying, arresting, and deporting undocumented foreign nationals back to their respective countries.
Media reports have indicated hundreds of people hailing from countries such as Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, and others have been deported from the USA. The white house has termed this operation as the largest deportation in history, with many more expected to be deported as the operation continues.
In this context, we look at some of the orders affecting immigration issued by Trump, together with trends in deportations and arrests of undocumented migrants in the USA. The deportation data for the story is sourced from Dataful, and in turn, curated from ICE reports, and the arrests data is sourced from ICE directly.
Between 2013-14 & 2023-24, an average of over 2 lakh illegal migrants were deported annually
Known as a country of migrants, deportation is not a new phenomenon in the USA. According to ICE data, each year between 2013-14 and 2023-24, an average of over 200,000 illegal migrants were deported to their respective countries.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), citing Migration Policy Institute data, reported that approximately 1.5 million persons were deported from the USA during Donald Trump’s first term and a similar number under Joe Biden’s presidency. These figures are notably lower than the 2.9 million deportations recorded during Barack Obama’s first term (2009-2013).
ICE data further shows that during Obama’s second term (2013-14 to 2016-17), around 1 million people were deported. Under Trump’s first term (2017-18 to 2020-21), the number stood at 750,000, while under Biden (2021-22 to 2023-24), deportations were 500,000.
In all, over 2.27 million persons were deported from 2013-14 to 2023-24, before Trump’s second term began, averaging more than 200,000 deportations per year.
Since returning to office on 20 January 2025, for his second term, Trump has introduced significant changes to immigration policy and law to accelerate the removal of migrants. Previously, expedited removals were restricted to areas within 100 miles of the USA’s international borders and applied only to individuals who either did not seek asylum or failed to establish a credible asylum claim.
Under Trump’s new policy, expedited removals can now occur anywhere in the USA and apply to undocumented migrants who cannot prove they have resided in the country for over two years. Additionally, the ban on immigration raids in sensitive locations such as schools, churches, and hospitals has been lifted.
With an estimated 11 million undocumented migrants living in the USA, these policy changes and the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation strategy could lead to record-high deportation numbers surpassing those of previous administrations.
94% of those deported are from 10 countries; Over 50% from Mexico alone
According to ICE data, between 2013-14 and 2023-24, a total of 2.27 million persons from approximately 210 countries and territories were deported back to their home nations. Of these, the top 10 countries alone accounted for 2.15 million deportations, making up over 94% of the total.
Mexico had the highest number of deportations, with 1.1 million (51%), followed by Guatemala with 0.39 million and Honduras with 0.27 million. Among the top 10 countries, Mexico alone accounted for 54% of all deportations.
When analysed by region, six of the top 10 deportation destinations were in North and Central America, while the remaining four were in South America. No countries from Asia, Europe, or other regions featured among the top 10. India and China, the only two Asian countries in the top 20, ranked 12th and 16th, respectively.
During the period from 2013-14 to 2023-24, North and Central American countries accounted for 92% of all deportations, followed by South America with 5%.
One of Trump’s core campaign promises—both in his first and second presidential bids—was to curb illegal migration to protect the interests of American citizens.
Data indicates that Mexican citizens faced the highest number of deportations from the USA. In response, Trump proposed constructing a 1,000-mile border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border during his first presidential campaign. After assuming office, approximately $15 billion was allocated for the project, and reports suggest that around 458 miles of the wall were completed, though there are conflicting views on the actual progress. However, after Trump’s first term, his successor Joe Biden halted construction through a proclamation issued on 20 January 2021 and redirected the allocated funds. Now, Trump has reinstated his previous order to resume wall construction by revoking Biden’s directive.
The renewed push for the border wall has sparked widespread debate. While some support the initiative, others oppose it. During Trump’s first term, the Democratic Party openly questioned why the wall proposal was not taken through the Senate — the standard legislative process — instead of being enforced through an executive order.
In addition to reinstating the border wall order, Trump has also terminated the CBP One mobile application. This app, launched in 2020 during Biden’s term by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), allowed asylum seekers and migrants to schedule appointments at designated ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border.
With the app’s shutdown, an estimated 300,000 individuals awaiting CBP appointments for legal entry into the U.S. have now lost their opportunity.
Between 2020 and 2024, 87% of the total migrants arrested are from 10 countries
The Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) of ICE also publishes data on the number of undocumented migrants arrested in the USA. As of date, this data is published for the period from October 2020 to September 2024. As per the same data, over 500,000 undocumented migrants were arrested during this time, with 430,000 (87%) of them originating from just 10 countries.
Similar to deportations, Mexico had the highest number of arrests, with 143,000 of its citizens detained in the USA on charges of illegal migration—accounting for 28% of all arrests. Honduras and Nicaragua followed, with over 50,000 and 43,000 arrests, respectively.
Additionally, as seen in deportation trends, six of the top 10 countries with the highest number of citizens arrested were from North and Central America, while the remaining four were from South America. India and China were the only Asian nations to make it into the top 20, ranking 14th and 16th, respectively.