U.S. immigration authorities deported the largest number of undocumented immigrants in nearly a decade last year, surpassing the record set during Donald Trump’s first term.
A report released Thursday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) showed that more than 271,000 immigrants were deported from the United States last fiscal year.
The ICE report comes just weeks before President-elect Trump takes office, who plans to make mass deportations a cornerstone of his incoming administration.
In 2021, President Joe Biden promised a moratorium on deportations, but his administration ultimately expanded them after a surge in border crossings.
In the latest reportICE said the sharp rise in deportations last fiscal year was partly the result of streamlined procedures.
The agency said more deportation flights are heading to further destinations, including Africa and Asia, countries that have not accepted U.S. deportations for years.
Most deportations in fiscal year 2024 involved immigrants apprehended by border officials, compared with immigrants apprehended by ICE in the interior of the United States.
About 82% of the 271,000 immigrants deported that year were apprehended by border agents.
President-elect Trump has vowed to launch “the largest deportations in history” when he returns to office on January 20.
However, these commitments may face Huge logistical and financial challenge.
Trump spent much of the campaign attacking the White House’s border policies before decisively defeating Biden in November.
Trump transition spokesperson Carolyn Leavitt told Reuters that Biden’s deportations were minuscule compared with the surge of illegal immigration during his presidency.
“President Trump will address an immigration and national security nightmare on Day One by addressing the largest mass deportation of illegal criminals in American history initiated by Joe Biden,” she said.
The number of migrants encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border hit a record high in December 2023, but has dropped significantly, especially in the past few months, and is now at its lowest level since July 2020, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Customs and Border Protection).
The report also attributes the increase in deportations to improved diplomatic efforts to persuade countries to return more deportees.
Mexican authorities are also increasingly restricting the flow of migrants heading north to the U.S. border.
In June, President Biden issued an executive order significantly restricting asylum, and with help from Mexico, illegal border crossings dropped.
Since then, U.S. Border Patrol has reduced the number of people released pending immigration court proceedings by 70%, the agency said.