More than three million illegal immigrants have left the United States during President Donald Trump’s first year back in office.
According to figures provided by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to Fox News, the total includes an estimated 2.2 million “self-deportations,” as the administration ramps up enforcement and pressures illegal immigrants to leave voluntarily.
There have also been around 900,000 forced deportations, enabled by a large increase in funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.
“In President Trump’s first year back in office, more than 3 million illegal aliens have left the U.S. because of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, including an estimated 2.2 million self-deportations,” a DHS spokesperson said.
NEW: More than 3 million illegal immigrants have left the U.S. under President Trump according to @DHSgov — including an estimated 2.2 million self-deportations.
DHS says nearly 900,000 illegal immigrants have been deported and more than 900,000 arrested as the administration…
— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) May 20, 2026
The administration has heavily promoted self-deportation through the CBP Home app, which allows migrants in the country illegally to arrange voluntary departure.
The figures come as the administration points to a dramatic collapse in illegal border crossings.
According to Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol recorded 8,943 apprehensions at the southwest border in April, a 94% drop from the Biden-era monthly average and 96 percent below the December 2023 peak.
Officials have also declared an end to the catch-and-release policies that dominated under the previous administration.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said last week that “the days of catch and release are over.”
The numbers mark a sharp reversal from the record migration levels seen under President Joe Biden, where at least 10 million people entered the country illegally.
The administration credits tougher asylum restrictions, expanded ICE operations, and aggressive interior enforcement for the shift.
Officials are also moving to onboard dozens of new immigration judges who will speed up the process of removal.
Trump Admin Moves to Supercharge Deportations with Unprecedented Immigration Judge Addition
While some immigration analysts have disputed how DHS categorizes certain removal figures, the drop in illegal crossings has been widely acknowledged.
However, some accuse the administration of “cooking the books” by including border turnaways and removals in the official figures.
Apprehension numbers are so low they’re cooking the books — straight Obama style.
I just called out Homan downplaying a 12% drop in ICE arrests as a “minor hiccup.” The real pipelines for mass deportations (fear of removal, self-deportations) are bone dry. There is no… https://t.co/nY1ostengE
— Gregory K Bovino (@GregoryKBovino) May 22, 2026
Ben Kew is a writer and editor. Originally from the UK, he moved to the U.S. to cover Congress for Breitbart News and has since gone on to editorial roles at Human Events, Townhall Media, and Americano Media. He has also written for The Epoch Times, The Western Journal, and The Spectator.
You can email Ben Kew here, and read more of Ben Kew’s articles here.
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