BURSTU.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported that they deported over 270,000 people to 192 countries during the 2024 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, marking the highest number of deportations since 2014, when ICE reported 315,943 removals.
The increase of deportations in 2024 also marks a 90 percent increase from the 2023 fiscal year and 276 percent increase from 2022.
The annual ICE report, released Thursday, attributes this to a variety of factors, including increased deportation flights, with some of the taking place on weekends; and streamlined travel procedures for those sent to Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.
The highest number of deportations ICE reached during Trump’s first term in the White House was 267,258 in 2019.
ICE reported that of the 271,484 removals, nearly 33 percent of those removed had a criminal history. They reported 47,885 assault charges, 16,225 sexual assaults or sex-related charges, 10,862 weapons offenses and 9,453 burglaries.
The number of unaccompanied children removed also increased by 93.3 percent, from 212 in 2023 to 411 in 2024. The number in 2019 was 6,351.
Mexico was the most common destination for deportees, with 87,298 removals, followed by Guatemala and Honduras, with 66,435 and 45,923 removals, respectively.
ICE made 113,431 arrests during the 2024 fiscal year, marking a 34 percent decrease from 170,590 in 2023.
The agency reported 46,612 arrests for crossing the border illegally from Mexico in November and 56,526 in October alone. This is a decrease from the 250,000 arrests in December 2023.
Immigration was a hot topic on the 2024 presidential election, with President-elect Trump promising mass deportations during his time in office. Tom Homan, Donald Trump’s declared “border czar,” recently said he would need a significant increase in ICE agents to successfully undertake the president-elect’s plans.
"On day one, President Trump will fix the immigration and national security nightmare that Joe Biden created by launching the largest mass deportation operation of illegal criminals in United States history," Trump-Vance transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told The Hill.
The Hill has reached out to Biden’s team for comment.
— Updated at 12:19 p.m.