The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has recorded its highest number of deportations in history, removing 483,200 migrants during the latest fiscal year as President Donald Trump continues his aggressive immigration crackdown.
The record figures come as Stephen Miller, the architect of Trump’s mass deportation strategy, takes over as White House chief of staff, raising expectations that the administration will maintain its tough approach to immigration enforcement.
ICE Records Nearly 500,000 Deportations in One Year
According to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) figures obtained by CBS News, ICE deported 483,200 people in the fiscal year ending September 30.
The total represents an increase from the 442,640 deportations reported in the previous fiscal year.
It also exceeds the 409,849 removals recorded in 2012 under former President Barack Obama by approximately 18 per cent.
The latest figure is nearly 78 per cent higher than the 271,484 deportations carried out during the final full fiscal year of former President Joe Biden’s administration.
ICE also recorded more than 491,000 immigration arrests during the period, including nearly 475,000 civil administrative arrests that did not require criminal charges.
Miller Takes Over as White House Chief of Staff
The deportation figures were released shortly after Stephen Miller was appointed White House chief of staff.
Miller has played a central role in developing and implementing Trump’s mass deportation campaign.
Over the past two years, he has pushed for increased immigration arrests and higher enforcement targets for ICE officers.
His appointment places one of the administration’s most prominent immigration hardliners in a key position within the White House.
Sources familiar with the enforcement strategy expect immigration operations to continue at their current pace under Miller’s leadership.
ICE officers have reportedly been instructed to target approximately 19,000 arrests every week, a goal established before the midterm elections.
Trump Previously Suggested His Immigration Crackdown Was Too Tough
The record deportation figures emerged days after Trump discussed the possibility of reaching an amnesty agreement with Democrats during an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes.
During the interview, the president acknowledged that his administration’s immigration crackdown might have been excessive.
“I think it was too tough,” Trump said when discussing the enforcement campaign.
He also floated the possibility of negotiating an amnesty arrangement with Democrats once they take control of Congress.
However, the president’s subsequent actions and the appointment of Miller suggest that the administration’s immigration enforcement strategy remains a major priority.
DHS Highlights Criminal Cases Amid Questions Over Arrests
The Department of Homeland Security has defended its enforcement operations by pointing to cases involving migrants accused of serious crimes.
Among those highlighted by the department is Raul Genesis Ortiz Moran, a Mexican national charged with second-degree murder and aggravated sexual assault in connection with the death of a two-year-old girl in Virginia.
DHS has described its operations as an effort to identify and remove what it calls the “worst of the worst.”
However, figures obtained by CBS News indicate that more than half of ICE arrests in July involved individuals who had neither criminal convictions nor pending criminal charges.
A separate analysis by the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute found that only about 20 per cent of approximately 980,000 deportations conducted by ICE and Border Patrol during the past year involved people with criminal convictions.
Democrats Prepare to Scrutinise ICE Operations
Democrats are expected to take control of both chambers of Congress in January, with some lawmakers already promising investigations into ICE’s expenditure and enforcement methods.
The agency’s expanding budget is likely to attract attention as lawmakers examine the financial resources allocated to immigration operations.
In July 2025, Trump’s tax and spending legislation provided approximately $170 billion for immigration enforcement and border security. Of that amount, $75 billion was specifically allocated to ICE.
The funding represents a significant financial commitment to the administration’s deportation and border security objectives.
DHS Faces Questions Over Transparency
The Department of Homeland Security has provided less detailed information about deportations under the current administration than previous governments.
Its statistics office has not released a comprehensive monthly enforcement report covering both ICE and Border Patrol since January 2025.
The absence of regular detailed reports has limited the availability of information about immigration enforcement activities.
Despite the scrutiny surrounding its operations, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin praised ICE personnel following the release of the latest figures.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the brave men and women of ICE,” Mullin said in a statement issued alongside the deportation statistics on Thursday.
