In his first month as US President, Donald Trump deported 37,660 people, according to new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data released Friday.
The figure falls short of Joe Biden’s 57,000 monthly average last year. A senior official, however, promised a sharp rise in Trump deportation efforts soon. New policies and international agreements aim to boost arrests and removals.
A DHS spokesperson claimed Biden’s numbers were “artificially high” due to record illegal border crossings, which simplified deportations. Trump, who campaigned on deporting millions, faces challenges matching past highs. Yet, deals with Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, and Costa Rica to accept deportees from other nations could soon accelerate the process. The US military has already supported over a dozen deportation flights to countries like Honduras, Ecuador, and India.
The Pentagon’s resources could supercharge Trump deportation flights, said Adam Isacson, a security expert at the Washington Office on Latin America. Flights have even sent Venezuelan migrants to Guantanamo Bay. Meanwhile, the administration is easing arrests of migrants without criminal records. Alleged gang members or terrorist affiliates may now face removal under expanded US immigration laws.
Read: US Deports Over 7,300 Immigrants in Trump’s Mass Deportation Drive
Trump is reallocating agents from ICE’s investigative arm, the Justice Department, IRS, and State Department to aid deportations. Jessica Vaughan from the Centre for Immigration Studies noted these agents could target employers hiring undocumented workers. In Trump’s first three weeks, ICE arrested 14,000 people—667 daily, per border czar Tom Homan. That’s double last year’s pace but far from the promised millions.
