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DHS says record number of illegal immigrants deported in past year
The Trump administration says the US deported 483,200 people in fiscal 2026, a record and an increase on the 442,640 reported for the previous year. The announcement matters because it presents a sharply different picture from an immigration data analysis published the day before, which said removals fell after Donald Trump took office in January 2025.
The Department of Homeland Security said the 2026 total was more than eight times the 59,000 deportations recorded in fiscal 2021 and also cited nearly 475,000 administrative arrests. It did not state how many deportees faced criminal charges. Syracuse University’s TRAC analysis, based on data through August obtained through Freedom of Information Act litigation, said DHS figures may combine formal removals with returns, including people who left voluntarily; unlike removals, returns do not legally bar re-entry.
In short
- DHS reports a record 483,200 deportations in fiscal 2026.
- The total exceeds the previous year’s 442,640.
- TRAC says the figures may include voluntary departures.
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The case for
Supporters of the administration’s account can argue that the 483,200 figure reflects a substantial enforcement effort and provides evidence that the government is carrying out its stated immigration policy. They may also say that counting both removals and returns captures the broader number of people who left the country as a result of enforcement, and that the rise from the prior year is relevant even if the categories differ.
The case against
Critics can argue that the headline total is difficult to compare with earlier figures if it combines formal removals with returns, including voluntary departures, which have different legal consequences. They may give greater weight to TRAC’s analysis of records obtained through litigation, while noting that the DHS announcement does not specify how many people faced criminal charges or explain the discrepancy with that analysis.