According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, an estimated 2.5 million illegal immigrants have left the United States. “The Trump Administration claims it is breaking historic records by compelling more than 2.5 million illegal immigrants to leave the U.S. DHS has deported over 605,000 illegal immigrants, and an additional 1.9 million have voluntarily left the country. Since January 20, 2025, DHS has arrested more than 595,000 illegal immigrants,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a press release.

While DHS meticulously records deportation statistics, the number of illegal immigrants who leave voluntarily is only an estimate, as most migrants depart without informing the government. During the first six months of President Trump’s term, 150,000 deportations were reported, and a total of 1.6 million illegal immigrants had left the country. However, DHS had officially recorded only about 13,000 self-deportations. Under the voluntary departure program, illegal immigrants were offered a free flight home and a $1,000 bonus, though the actual number who used the program was quite small.

Since July, the number of deportations has nearly quadrupled—rising from 150,000 to 605,000 over a span of four to five months. DHS noted that a major turning point in immigration enforcement came after President Trump signed an executive order into law, which allocated about $17 billion for immigration enforcement, including $45 million to expand detention capacity for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and $30 billion for personnel and enforcement operations.

The Trump Administration claims its operations are focused on targeting the “worst of the worst” illegal immigrants, concentrating on individuals with a criminal history. According to DHS, over 70 percent of arrested illegal immigrants have been charged with or convicted of crimes. This week, DHS launched a new website titled “The Worst of the Worst”, which provides details about illegal immigrants charged with serious crimes, including sexual abuse of minors.