Analysis shows fewer people are being deported under Biden than Trump, despite what the media and activists have been saying.
Illegal immigrant removal from the U.S. interior has seen a sharp decline under the Biden administration compared to the Trump administration, according to a recent analysis by the National Immigration Center for Enforcement (NICE). Despite an increase in the total number of encounters during the Biden administration, the removal numbers by ICE have significantly decreased.
During the Trump administration, ICE conducted 935,346 removals of illegal immigrants, which accounted for 31.1% of the more than 2 million encounters. However, in contrast, the Biden-Harris administration has had over 9.6 million encounters, but only 4.4% of those, totaling 406,638, have been removed by ICE.
The ICE data analysis reveals that in fiscal years 2018 and 2019, there were over 250,000 ICE removals each year, which dropped to 185,000 in fiscal year 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and further declined to 59,011 in fiscal year 2021. The removal numbers have since shown an increase to 72,177 in fiscal year 2022 and 142,580 in fiscal year 2023.
Despite claims by the administration and certain media outlets suggesting an increase in overall removals after the termination of Title 42, the ICE deportation numbers remain lower in comparison to the Trump era. Some headlines have stated that Biden is deporting more people than Trump, but these articles often refer to the total DHS returns and removals, including those conducted by CBP at the border, where migrants can be quickly turned back before being released.
When including CBP removals, the numbers are significantly higher post-Title 42 termination, with Trump overseeing 1.5 million deportations and returns, while Biden has managed over 1.1 million until February of the current year.
DHS reported that the majority of Southwest border encounters in the past three fiscal years resulted in removals, returns, or expulsions, with over 740,000 individuals being removed or returned in the year following the end of the Title 42 public health Order.
Although the Biden administration touts a reduction in border encounters and emphasizes progress in tackling the border crisis, critics note that record-high border encounters persist, leading to a significant number of illegal immigrants being released into the U.S. The number of illegal immigrants on the non-detained docket recently surpassed 7 million.
President Biden, along with Vice President Harris, has been portraying the administration as successfully addressing the border crisis, highlighting a decrease in border crossings and emphasizing diplomatic efforts to address root causes. However, critics argue that the administration’s approach has weakened interior enforcement and made it challenging for ICE agents to detain and remove illegal aliens.
Despite differing narratives, the data shows a substantial decrease in ICE removals under the Biden administration compared to the Trump era. As the immigration debate continues, the effectiveness of border policies and enforcement strategies remains a key topic of discussion.
