Overview of Trump’s Deportation Efforts
Since taking office on January 20, 2025, President Trump’s second-term immigration agenda has emphasized mass deportations, targeting over 10 million unauthorized immigrants with a focus on criminals. As ICE targets criminals, they also pickup other non-criminals that they encounter along the way.
Trump’s administration has used executive actions, increased funding (e.g., $75 billion for ICE via the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”), military involvement at the border and interior, and incentives for self-deportation.
By December 7, 2025—nearly 11 months in—efforts have accelerated arrests and detentions, dramatically reduced border crossings, and prompted a record number of exits.
Taken together, forced removals + voluntary exits = over 2 million illegals have left the US under Trump.
Once logistics, court challenges, and capacity constraints are remedied, it is expected that exits will increase dramatically.
