The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has revealed that more than 2.5 million illegal immigrants have left the United States since President Donald Trump took office on January 20, 2025. The Trump administration is hailing this as proof of the “most secure border in American history,” marking a dramatic reversal from the record-high crossings seen during the Biden era.
According to DHS officials, the exodus includes over 622,000 forced deportations carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), with a focus on removing dangerous criminals, gang members, and drug traffickers. Even more strikingly, an estimated 1.9 million individuals have chosen to self-deport voluntarily, driven by intensified enforcement operations, fear of arrest, and innovative incentives offered by the government.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem praised President Trump in a statement, saying, “In less than a year, President Trump has delivered some of the most historic and consequential achievements in presidential history—and this administration is just getting started. In record time, we have secured the border, taken the fight to cartels, and arrested thousands upon thousands of criminal illegal aliens. Though 2025 was historic, we won’t rest until the job is done.”
The numbers represent a monumental shift in immigration enforcement. Border crossings have plummeted by 93% year-over-year, with daily southwest border apprehensions averaging just 245 – a fraction of the thousands seen daily under the previous administration. U.S. Border Patrol encounters have hit record lows, with some months seeing fewer than 10,000 apprehensions nationwide.
A key factor in the high self-deportation rate has been the DHS’s promotion of the CBP Home mobile app, which allows undocumented individuals to arrange their departure voluntarily. Participants receive a complimentary plane ticket home and a $1,000 exit bonus – an incentive DHS says encourages peaceful compliance while preserving the possibility of future legal return. “Illegal aliens are hearing our message to leave now,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “They know if they don’t, we will find them, we will arrest them, and they will never return.”
The administration credits aggressive policies, including expanded ICE operations, the deployment of temporary barriers, and cooperation with states like Texas for the success. Drug interdiction efforts have also surged: CBP seized nearly 540,000 pounds of narcotics this year, a 10% increase from 2024, while the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted roughly 470,000 pounds of cocaine – enough, DHS claims, to kill 177 million Americans at lethal doses. Fentanyl trafficking across the border has been halved.
President Trump’s second term has seen the passage of major legislation providing billions for enforcement, including funds for new ICE agents, detention facilities, and removal operations. Operations targeting “the worst of the worst” have led to the arrest of over 595,000 individuals since January, prioritizing those with criminal records.
Critics, including some immigration advocates and outlets like The Atlantic, have questioned the accuracy of self-deportation estimates, noting they are harder to track than formal removals and may include natural fluctuations. Reports suggest only a fraction of self-deporters have used official channels like the CBP Home app, with broader departures attributed to a climate of fear from raids and policy changes. Independent analyses, such as from the Migration Policy Institute, estimate lower formal deportation figures in some periods, though acknowledging a sharp drop in new arrivals.
Nonetheless, the Trump administration points to these outcomes as fulfillment of campaign promises to restore law and order. With border security solidified and interior enforcement ramped up, officials say the U.S. is experiencing its first significant decline in the foreign-born population in decades.
As 2025 draws to a close, the DHS vows to continue operations into the new year, signaling that mass departures and deportations are far from over. “America’s borders are safer than ever before,” Secretary Noem declared. This development underscores a pivotal moment in U.S. immigration policy, reshaping the nation’s demographic and security landscape under Trump’s renewed leadership.