Biden Fudged the Numbers—Trump’s Deportation Machine Sets the Record Straight

President Donald Trump’s administration is reporting a sharp rise in immigration enforcement actions during its first 100 days in office, outpacing the Biden-Harris administration’s real deportation numbers by a wide margin once misclassified data is accounted for.

Officials are also pointing to a significant decline in illegal border crossings and a surge in self-deportations as a result of renewed enforcement.

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According to new data released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Trump’s administration has removed 65,682 illegal aliens and arrested 66,463 since January.

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The rate of deportations now stands at approximately 660 per day—five times higher than the adjusted rate under the Biden-Harris administration, which had included “turnarounds” at the border in its deportation statistics.

A detailed analysis shows that over 80% of the 271,484 deportations claimed by the Biden administration in fiscal year 2024 were not ICE removals from the interior but were instead apprehensions by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the southern border.

These border turnbacks—classified as “returns” or “expulsions” by CBP—are not counted as deportations under standard ICE practice.

A December 2024 press release from CBP under the Biden administration referred to these actions as “removals and returns,” effectively inflating the deportation statistics. In contrast, ICE under Trump has reported only official interior removals, not including border turnarounds.

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When recalculated, Biden’s true ICE removal rate falls to around 130 per day, compared to Trump’s 660 daily removals. Homeland Security reports that more than 142,000 deportations and 158,000 arrests have been made across all enforcement agencies in Trump’s first 100 days.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said in a statement Tuesday:

“We removed over 65,000 illegal aliens to countries across the world. We’re just 100 days into this administration and thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem, ICE is using every tool at its disposal to enforce our country’s immigration laws and protect our communities.”

Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said the early success reflects the administration’s aggressive approach after years of limited enforcement.

“President Trump and Secretary Noem have jump-started an agency that was vilified and barred from doing its job for the last four years.”

She added that illegal migrants are now turning back before reaching the U.S., and use of the CBP Home app for self-deportation is surging. Migration through Panama’s Darien Gap is reportedly down 99.99%.

White House Border Czar Tom Homan credited the current enforcement pace to policy changes but urged Congress to allocate more resources.

“Congress needs to get off their ass. Give us the money we need… We need money for more beds, for transportation, for more officers. We’ve got over 700,000 illegal aliens with criminal convictions walking the streets of America.”

The administration has also reinstated the Remain in Mexico policy, requiring asylum applicants to wait outside the U.S. until their court dates—reversing Biden’s “catch and release” policy.

Under Biden, millions were released into the country with court dates or parole. The Center for Immigration Studies estimates at least 160,000 aliens skipped their court dates in FY 2023.

Upon taking office in January, President Trump signed an executive order directing that illegal aliens apprehended inside the country be detained. ICE officials now report that roughly three in four of those arrested under Trump have prior criminal convictions.

Additionally, Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin reported that approximately 9,000 illegal aliens have self-deported using the CBP Home app, a tool initially developed during Biden’s term.

While Homeland Security has not confirmed the exact figure, officials acknowledged that “thousands” have used the app to leave voluntarily.

In an address at the Border Security Expo in Phoenix last month, Homan stated, “I’m happy with the numbers, but I’m not satisfied. We need more, and that’s where the budget comes in.”

On Friday, the Office of Management and Budget submitted its request to Congress for the upcoming budget reconciliation.

The proposal includes $175 million in new funding for Homeland Security to “fully secure the border” and a 13% increase in defense spending, offset by reductions in education, foreign aid, environmental, and welfare programs.

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