Trump Administration Announces Record 483,200 Deportations as ICE Arrests Reach Historic High
President Trump’s Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday that more than 483,000 illegal immigrants were deported during the past fiscal year, marking what the administration described as a historic achievement in its nationwide immigration enforcement campaign.
According to DHS, 483,200 people were deported during fiscal year 2026, which ended September 30. The figure represents an increase from the 442,640 deportations reported during the previous fiscal year.
The administration said approximately 60% of those deported had either been charged with or convicted of crimes in the United States, highlighting its emphasis on removing individuals with criminal histories.
Federal officials also reported nearly 475,000 administrative arrests during the fiscal year, which DHS described as the highest annual total in Immigration and Customs Enforcement history.
The department compared its latest enforcement figures with those recorded during the Biden administration, arguing that President Trump’s immigration policies have produced a dramatic increase in deportation activity.
DHS reported that the latest annual total was more than eight times the approximately 59,000 deportations recorded during fiscal year 2021, the first fiscal year of Biden’s presidency.
The administration’s announcement highlighted several cases involving individuals accused or convicted of serious crimes, presenting those removals as examples of its broader enforcement priorities.
President Trump has repeatedly identified immigration enforcement and border security as central objectives of his administration. Since returning to the White House in January 2025, he has expanded deportation operations and directed federal agencies to intensify efforts to identify and remove people living in the country unlawfully.
The latest figures come as the administration continues defending its immigration policies following Republican losses in the November midterm elections.
Trump recently acknowledged that deportations involving longtime workers had generated political concerns, particularly when individuals were employed in industries such as agriculture, hospitality, and food service.
During a recent interview, the president expressed interest in potentially negotiating an immigration agreement addressing certain individuals who have lived and worked in the United States unlawfully for more than a decade.
However, Trump also emphasized that his administration was not offering amnesty and maintained that its overall immigration enforcement policy remained unchanged.
The DHS announcement has also prompted questions about how the government calculates its deportation totals.
Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, which analyzes federal immigration enforcement data, reported Wednesday that formal removals had declined after Trump returned to office, based on records obtained through Freedom of Information Act litigation.
One possible explanation for the differing figures is that DHS may include voluntary departures and returns in its reported totals, while the university’s analysis distinguishes those departures from formal removals.
Formal removals can carry legal restrictions on future entry into the United States, while voluntary returns generally do not impose the same consequences.
DHS did not provide a detailed breakdown explaining how the 483,200 figure was calculated or how many departures involved formal removal orders.
Despite those questions, the administration is presenting the latest numbers as evidence of its expanded immigration enforcement operations.
With President Trump continuing to prioritize border security and deportations, the new figures are expected to remain central to the administration’s immigration agenda as Democrats prepare to take control of Congress in January.