US reports record number of deportations under Trump
Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it deported more than 483,000 people in the past financial year.
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The US immigration agency ICE has reported a record number of deportations in financial year 2026. According to the Department of Homeland Security, more than 483,000 people were removed from the United States, the highest number in ICE’s 23-year history.
The figures were released on Thursday by the US Department of Homeland Security. The department also reports more than 491,000 immigration arrests in the financial year, which ended on 30 September. The figures relate to enforcement by ICE and not to all forms of border enforcement or returns at the border.
Associated Press gives a total of 483,200 deportations. That puts the number above the previous ICE record of 442,640 in financial year 2025. The record figures do not in themselves show to what extent the Trump administration is achieving its policy objectives. In its own communications, the agency refers to enforcement targeting people who, according to the government, are in the country illegally.
The figures do not mean that all those removed had been convicted of criminal offences. According to AP, more than half of those deported had no criminal charge. The reported totals should therefore not be read as numbers of people deported following a criminal conviction.
AP also describes the political reactions to the enforcement. AP writes that the policy has prompted political backlash and that Democrats made major gains in last week’s midterm elections. The US government has nevertheless said that the deportations will continue. Immigration therefore remains a central conflict between the administration and Democratic states and cities.
For the Netherlands, the scale and policy direction are particularly relevant. The United States is opting for a much more extensive enforcement policy than in previous years, with consequences for families, employers and migrants living in the US. The published figures do not provide a complete picture of court cases, voluntary departures or the circumstances in which people leave the country. Additional data on the composition of the group and subsequent legal proceedings are needed for that.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- DHS and ICE report a record number of deportations in financial year 2026.
- AP reports that more than half of those deported had no criminal charge.
- The US government says that its policy of large-scale deportations will continue.
- The figures concern ICE enforcement and are not the same as all returns at the US border.
Left
Arguments A left-wing perspective emphasises that mass deportations also affect people without criminal convictions and can disrupt families and communities. It points to legal protection, humane treatment and legal routes for migration.
Values Human dignity, equal legal protection and social cohesion.
Consequences Stricter enforcement can lead to fear, reduced access to public services and labour-market problems, while its effect on safety does not follow from these totals.
Centre
Arguments The institutional approach recognises that a state may enforce migration rules, but demands transparent figures, individual legal protection and a distinction between criminal risks and administrative offences.
Values The rule of law, feasibility and reliable public accountability.
Consequences An effective policy can increase support for migration rules, but record figures without full context can cloud public debate.
Right
Arguments A right-wing perspective emphasises that the government is fulfilling its election promise and that staying without valid permission should have consequences. It focuses on border control, public order and preventing new irregular migration.
Values National sovereignty, security and enforcement of democratically established rules.
Consequences Continuing the deportations could strengthen deterrence, but requires sufficient capacity and can create diplomatic and economic tensions.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The key figures and the period were checked directly against DHS and AP. The text attributes the political interpretation to AP and explicitly identifies what information the figures do not provide.
- confirmed ICE reported more than 483,000 deportations in financial year 2026. — The Department of Homeland Security cites more than 483,000 deportations; AP cites 483,200. source
- confirmed The previous ICE record was 442,640 deportations in financial year 2025. — This figure appears in AP’s reporting on the DHS announcement. source
- confirmed More than half of those deported had no criminal charge. — AP makes this distinction in its report on the figures. source
- confirmed The financial year ended on 30 September. — US federal financial years end on 30 September; the DHS announcement concerns FY2026. source
Editor's note
The record number and totals come from DHS and AP. The precise composition of the deported group and the legal outcome of individual cases have not been fully detailed in public reporting.Sources
- ICE Breaks Records in Fiscal Year 2026, With Most Arrests and Deportations in Agency’s History — U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- ICE reports record-high immigration arrests and deportations since Trump's return to White House — Associated Press
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „verenigde-staten deportaties”
- AD — „verenigde-staten deportaties”
- de Volkskrant — „verenigde-staten deportaties”