ICE’s annual report released Dec. 19 showed more than 271,000 deportations in fiscal year 2024.
An estimated 11 million illegal immigrants arrived in the country under the Biden administration’s open border policy.
That represents the highest number of illegal immigrants removed since President Joe Biden took office in 2021 and eclipses the number of illegal immigrants removed under President-elect Donald Trump’s first term, which started in 2017.
Trump and his incoming border czar, Tom Homan, have promised to launch a mass deportation campaign to remove millions of illegal immigrants, starting with criminals or those with deportation orders.
Illegal immigration became one of the top issues during the 2024 presidential race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, who was dubbed the border czar under the Biden administration.
According to the 2024 report, of the 271,484 removals, 237 were known or suspected terrorists, 3,706 were known or suspected gang members, and 88,763 had criminal histories.
The countries with the highest number of deportations from the United States were Mexico, 87,298; Guatemala, 66,435; Honduras, 45,923; and El Salvador, 15,284.
The report credited the increase in deportations partly to successful repatriation negotiations with foreign nations.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) negotiated with governments in the Western Hemisphere, such as El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, to expand weekly flights.
Other factors that helped facilitate deportations include lower advance mission notification time requirements, receiving weekend manifests, and expanding Electronic Nationality Verification (ENV) program participation.
Also, “intensive diplomatic efforts” by DHS and ERO resulted in an increased number of charter flights to countries in the Eastern Hemisphere.
That allowed for the first large charter removal flight to China since fiscal year 2018.
Additionally, charter flights were arranged to Albania, Angola, Egypt, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Mauritania, Romania, Senegal, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, according to the report.
The report stated that these actions enabled ERO to increase removal operations and laid the groundwork for more removals in 2024.
ICE Deputy Director Patrick J. Lechleitner praised the agency’s ability to adapt to challenges.
“Our federal law enforcement officers, special agents, mission support staff, and others are always tasked with doing more despite having fewer resources at our disposal,” Lechleitner said.
