DHS touts millions of illegal immigrant departures as border crossings drop 94% under Trump

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President Donald Trump’s first year back in office has seen more than 3 millionillegal immigrantsleave the United States, including an estimated 2.2 million “self-deportations,�

DHS said the administration has also deported nearly 900,000 illegal immigrants and arrested more than 900,000 others as of May 17, framing the numbers as evidence Trump’s immigration crackdown is reshaping migration patterns after record illegal crossings during former PresidentJoe Biden’s administration.

“In President Trump’s first year back in office, more than 3 million illegal aliens have left the U.S.because of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration including an estimated 2.2 million self-deportations,�

The administration has increasingly promotedself-deportation through the CBP Homeapp, which allows migrants to voluntarily leave the country with travel assistance and financial support.

DHS DEFENDS AD BLITZ AMID SENATE SCRUTINY, SAYS CAMPAIGN DROVE 2.2M SELF-DEPORTATIONS AND SAVED TAXPAYERS $39B

The emblem of the U.S.Department of Homeland Security and U.S.Immigration and Customs Enforcement appears on a smartphone screen with the U.S.flag displayed on a laptop screen in Athens, Greece, on Feb.3, 2026.(Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto)

DHS says the program costs significantly less than traditional deportation proceedings and is designed to encourage migrants in the country illegally to leave voluntarily.

The figures come as the administration toutsdramatic declines in illegal crossingsand what officials describe as the end of “catch-and-release” policies at the southern border.

Last week, U.S.Customs and Border Protectionsaid Border Patrol had gone a full year without releasing illegal immigrants directly into the U.S.interior after apprehension at the border.

SOUTHERN BORDER APPREHENSIONS PLUNGE MORE THAN 90% FROM YEAR AGO IN APRIL, CBP SAYS

CBP said Border Patrol recorded 8,943 apprehensions at the southwestern border in April, a 94% drop from the Biden administration’s monthly average and 96% below the December 2023 peak.

Homeland Security SecretaryMarkwayne Mullinsaid last week that “the days of catch and release are over,” arguing the administration’s enforcement policies are deterring migrants from attempting to enter the country illegally.

The administration has also pointed toincreased ICE operations, tighter asylum restrictions and expanded interior enforcement as factors contributing to what officials describe as a broader deterrence effect.

Markwayne Mullin speaking during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C.

Markwayne Mullin, secretary of Homeland Security, speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 26, 2026.(Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Immigration analysts say the administration’s tougher enforcement posture has clearly reduced illegal crossings, though some dispute how DHS characterizes some of the figures tied to migrant releases and removals.

�s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.

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