Illegal aliens are abandoning their asylum and humanitarian claims and leaving the United States in dramatically higher numbers under President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
According to new immigration court data reviewed by The Washington Post, more than 80,000 illegals accepted “voluntary departure” orders between January 2025 and March 2026,
This is over seven times higher than the final 15 months of the Biden administration, when roughly 11,400 chose to leave voluntarily.
The numbers suggest the Trump administration’s tougher enforcement policies are accelerating self-deportation and encouraging migrants to leave rather than remain in detention while fighting removal cases.
However, millions of illegals remain in the U.S. after taking advantage of the Biden regime’s open border policy.
Voluntary departure allows immigrants to leave the country on their own terms instead of receiving a formal deportation order, potentially making it easier for them to return legally in the future.
Yeah, fake asylum seekers. They are instructed by unethical lawyers, NGOs, nonprofits and activists to make up claims of persecution from safe countries that Americans holiday in. https://t.co/WpXVA2YYmQ
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) May 8, 2026
The sharp increase comes as ICE detention numbers surged under Trump, with many migrants now facing lengthy stays in custody while awaiting immigration hearings.
Court data reviewed by the Vera Institute of Justice found that more than 70 percent of illegals granted voluntary departure orders during Trump’s second term were being held in detention when they agreed to leave.
The numbers began climbing shortly after the administration expanded immigration enforcement operations and ended many Biden-era restrictions on arrests and detention.
This tells you how many illegal aliens who claimed asylum did not actually need asylum. And it tells you how fraudulent the actions of those lawyers and NGO’s who encouraged and facilitated mass requests for asylum have been. https://t.co/d6KuU5ZVC5
— Megan Basham (@megbasham) May 8, 2026
In July 2025, ICE acting director Todd Lyons issued new guidance limiting bond eligibility for migrants who entered the country illegally, increasing the likelihood they would remain detained during proceedings.
Monthly voluntary departures then surged from fewer than 1,000 per month during Biden’s presidency to more than 9,000 in March 2026 alone.
Texas recorded the highest number of voluntary departures, followed by Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, and California.
The Department of Homeland Security said millions of illegal immigrants have effectively “self-deported” since Trump returned to office because they know immigration laws are now being enforced aggressively.
The administration has also promoted voluntary departure inside detention centers and immigration courts as part of its broader deportation agenda.
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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