Biden Administration’s Deportations Exceed Trump’s Initial Term Record

Immigration officials in the United States carried out the highest number of deportations of undocumented individuals over almost ten years last year, exceeding the figure from Donald Trump’s initial presidential term. The number of immigrants deported exceeded 271,000 from the US during the most recent fiscal year, as per a report issued by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency on Thursday. This ICE report was published mere weeks prior to President-elect Trump’s inauguration, with Trump having stated intentions to prioritize widespread deportations in his forthcoming administration. Although President Joe Biden had committed in 2021 to halt deportations, his administration subsequently increased them due to a rise in border entries. The recent report from ICE indicated that the significant increase in deportations during the previous fiscal year was partially attributable to a more efficient process. The agency also noted that a greater number of deportation flights were directed to distant locations, such as Africa and Asia, which had not received US deportees for several years. For fiscal year 2024, most deportations concerned migrants apprehended by border authorities, as opposed to individuals arrested by ICE within the US mainland. Approximately 82% of the 271,000 immigrants deported in that year had been detained by border agents. President-elect Trump has pledged to initiate the “largest deportation operation in history” upon his return to office on 20 January. Nevertheless, these commitments are expected to encounter substantial logistical and financial hurdles. Prior to his definitive win against Kamala Harris in November, Trump frequently criticized the White House’s border strategies during his campaign. Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for Trump’s transition team, informed Reuters that the deportations under Biden were negligible when contrasted with the elevated rates of illegal immigration observed throughout 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 United States history,” she said. Migrant encounters at the US-Mexico border peaked in December 2023, yet have since fallen considerably, especially over recent months, reaching their lowest point since July 2020, as reported by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). CBP also linked the increase in deportations to enhanced diplomatic initiatives that persuaded nations to accept a greater number of deportees. Furthermore, Mexican authorities have intensified their efforts to curb the movement of migrants traveling north towards the US border. In June, President Biden enacted an executive order that severely restricted asylum claims, a measure that, combined with assistance from Mexico, contributed to a reduction in unauthorized border crossings. The agency stated that since that time, the count of individuals released by the US Border Patrol awaiting immigration court proceedings has decreased by 70%. All rights reserved. Copyright 2024 BBC. The BBC bears no responsibility for material found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external links is available here.