US deportations under Biden surpass Trump’s 2019 record

Last year, US immigration authorities deported the largest number of undocumented immigrants in almost a decade, surpassing the record of Donald Trump’s first term.

More than 271,000 immigrants were deported from the United States during the last fiscal year, according to a report published Thursday by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.

The ICE report comes just weeks before President-elect Trump, who plans to make mass deportation a cornerstone of his incoming administration, takes office.

President Joe Biden had committed to suspending deportations in 2021, but his administration ended up expanding it after an increase in border crossings.

In the recently published reportICE said the sharp increase in deportations last fiscal year was partly the result of a streamlined process.

More deportation flights headed to farther destinations, including Africa and Asia, which did not accept U.S. deportations for years, the agency said.

The majority of deportations in fiscal year 2024 involved migrants detained by border officials compared to those arrested by ICE in the interior of the United States.

About 82% of the 271,000 immigrants deported that year were arrested by border agents.

President-elect Trump has promised to launch the “largest deportation operation in history” when he returns to office on January 20.

However, these promises are likely to be met huge logistical and financial challenges.

Before his decisive victory over Biden in November, Trump spent much of his campaign time attacking the White House’s border policies.

Trump transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Reuters that Biden’s deportations were insignificant compared to the high levels of illegal immigration during his presidency.

“On day one, President Trump will fix the immigration and national security nightmare that Joe Biden created by launching the largest mass deportation operation of illegal criminals in American history,” he said.

The number of migrant encounters along the US-Mexico border hit a record high in December 2023, but has declined significantly, particularly in recent months, and is now at its lowest level since July 2020, according to the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

He also attributed the increase in deportations to better diplomatic efforts to convince countries to accept more deportees.

Mexican authorities have also been increasingly cracking down on the flow of migrants heading north toward the U.S. border.

In June, President Biden issued an executive order sharply limiting asylum, which, along with help from Mexico, led to a decrease in illegal border crossings.

Since then, the number of people released by the US Border Patrol pending immigration court proceedings has decreased by 70%, the agency said.