US Plans to Deport Over 600,000 Undocumented Migrants by End of 2025

The United States government is expected to deport more than 600,000 undocumented migrants by the end of 2025, according to White House border adviser Tom Homan.

The Trump administration has emphasised a firm approach to immigration enforcement, with Homan stating at the Axios Future of Defence Summit that all individuals residing in the country illegally remain subject to arrest and removal. He claimed that around 70% of those detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have criminal records, while the rest are considered national security risks despite having no prior convictions.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has supported these claims, with Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin reporting that two million people have been either deported or self-deported since January. In a September statement, McLaughlin credited President Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem with restoring immigration enforcement efforts that she said were hindered under the previous administration.

However, analysts and journalists have questioned the accuracy of the reported figures. Brittany Gibson of Axios pointed to inconsistencies between Homan’s comments and ICE’s bi-monthly reports to Congress, suggesting delays or selective use of data. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council criticised the numbers as unreliable, noting that DHS stopped publishing monthly immigration statistics after Trump took office. 

He also said that the figure of 515,000 deportations includes visa-holders denied entry at airports, and that the larger total of 1.6 million comes from sources with anti-immigration perspectives. DHS officials dismissed these critiques as politically motivated and reaffirmed their commitment to ongoing deportations, describing the criticisms as “mental gymnastics.”

Data from NBC News’ deportation tracker shows a rise in ICE detention figures, with more than 59,000 people held in immigration facilities by late September, a more than 50% increase since Trump’s return to office. Of those detained, nearly 29% have criminal convictions, 25% face pending charges, and over 10% are subject to expedited removal proceedings. The remainder are classified as immigration violators without criminal records.

The increase in enforcement activity reflects Trump’s campaign pledge to carry out the largest mass deportation in US history.