When President Donald Trump took office, he began issuing a record number of executive orders, with many centering on the nation's immigration and border enforcement policies.These orders range from the ending of birthright citizenship to expanded use of expedited removals. They also address people seeking refuge or asylum 鈥� with an order to end the U.S. refugee program and the halting of an app used by migrants to make appointments before arriving at the border. Another order focuses on the deployment of resources, specifically the military, to border enforcement.While several of these orders have been either fully or partially blocked by federal judges, fear has taken hold in immigrant communities across the United States. Immigrants across the U.S. are avoiding places like work or school due to fears of ICE raids after an executive order removed rules against federal immigration organizations from entering locations like schools, churches and more.A large part of the rollout of the executive orders has been communications and strategy. The ICE account on X began posting daily arrest statistics between Jan. 23 and Feb. 1. The daily arrest numbers there added up to more than 8,000 arrests 鈥� or around 800 a day. The account has not consistently posted numbers since.ICE had provided no other details about this data, making it difficult to compare it with past data since it's unclear if this is equivalent to the administrative arrests reported by the Office of Homeland Security Statistics. The data has also been reported inconsistently and not reflective of a full-time period.The Hearst Television Data Team analyzed ICE arrest and deportation data from the Office of Homeland Security Statistics to provide a more contextual look at how the past few administrations have carried out immigration policies.The most recent complete data on ICE arrests and deportations from the Office of Homeland Security Statistics is three months behind, with ICE working toward publishing enforcement statistics every month, according to an ICE spokesperson. Thus, the latest data in the Hearst Television Data Team's analysis is from November 2024. The most recent administrative arrest data from ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations shows that monthly arrests for November 2024, the last data available, were at around 8,300 for the month or an average of less than 300 arrests per day.ICE enforcement includes both interior and border and is separate from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrests. ICE also is separate from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Arrests, however, don't necessarily equate to deportation. Deportation data from the Office of Homeland Security Statistics show a declined number of enforcement returns in the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations that began to grow under Joe Biden. Enforcement returns occur when someone tries to cross the border and is returned without going through formal removal proceedings.The Office of Homeland Security Statistics doesn鈥檛 report 鈥渄eportations,鈥� but instead reports total repatriations, which in addition to enforcement returns, include removals, administrative returns and expulsions. The Migration Policy Institute 鈥� a nonpartisan think-tank that focuses on immigration policy 鈥� defines a deportation as a removal or an enforcement return.Removals, which also occur at either the interior or border, are a formal process. Removals grew steadily during the Bush and Obama administrations until the COVID-19 pandemic when Biden鈥檚 use of Title 42 expulsions and enforcement returns grew. Title 42 began in March 2020 and ended in May 2023 with the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Under Title 42, people who arrived at the border were automatically expelled 鈥� with some exceptions.鈥淵ou started seeing, starting with the Bush administration, this idea of trying to basically break the cycle and to incentivize people not to keep crossing the border illegally,鈥� said Michelle Mittelstadt, the director of communications for the Migration Policy Institute.A removal is a formal process that essentially places sanctions on people from reentering. After removal, people can鈥檛 return for a minimum of five years. An enforcement return, however, takes less time and doesn鈥檛 halt individuals from reentering.The changing policies over prior administrations also show shifting priorities for enforcement. The majority of arrests under the Department of Homeland Security have occurred at the border for years.This data includes both arrests by ICE or U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). CBP is responsible for people coming into the U.S., while ICE makes arrests both at the border and the interior.Trump鈥檚 new administration hasn鈥檛 directly described plans to carry out all removals in the interior, Mittelstadt said, describing some of the actions including going into communities or sensitive locations. But, it's indicative of an administration wanting to remove people from the interior, she said. A White House statement last week cited a decline in apprehensions or arrests at the southwest border from December to January.The statement referenced data that includes times someone was stopped at the southwestern border 鈥� including both apprehensions and people who are deemed inadmissible. Apprehensions alone declined over 38% last month. Apprehensions are when people who cross the border illegally are stopped and arrested. A person is inadmissible when attempting to enter the United States legally but is denied entry.鈥淎nytime you have changing U.S. policy at the border, and certainly a perception of hardening of policy, you have at least a period of a few months where migrants are hanging back and trying to understand how the policy environment is changing,鈥� Mittelstadt said. The dip also follows a somewhat steady decline in encounters. In January 2024, the number of southwestern border apprehensions were cut in half and have declined almost every month since, according to CBP data. This is due to both more enforcement by Mexican authorities and Biden鈥檚 executive order issued in June of last year that prevented people who cross the southern border without authorization ineligible for asylum.鈥淏ut the reality also is that migration pauses tend to be just that: pauses,鈥� Mittelstadt said. 鈥淪muggling organizations develop new routes and the push factors and the pull factors that kind of compel people to migrate don't disappear, right? They just get rerouted in different ways.鈥漃HNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
WASHINGTON — When President Donald Trump took office, he began issuing a record number of executive orders, with many centering on the nation's immigration and border enforcement policies.
These orders range from the ending of birthright citizenship to expanded use of expedited removals. They also address people seeking refuge or asylum 鈥� with an order to end the U.S. refugee program and the halting of an app used by migrants to make appointments before arriving at the border. Another order focuses on the deployment of resources, , to border enforcement.
While several of these orders have been either fully or partially blocked by federal judges, fear has taken hold in immigrant communities across the United States. Immigrants across the U.S. are like work or school due to fears of ICE raids after an executive order removed rules against federal immigration organizations from entering locations like .
A large part of the rollout of the executive orders has been communications and strategy. The ICE account on X began posting daily arrest statistics between Jan. 23 and Feb. 1. The daily arrest numbers there added up to more than 8,000 arrests 鈥� or around 800 a day. The account has not consistently posted numbers since.
ICE had provided no other details about this data, making it difficult to compare it with past data since it's unclear if this is equivalent to the administrative arrests reported by the Office of Homeland Security Statistics. The data has also been reported inconsistently and not reflective of a full-time period.
The Hearst Television Data Team analyzed ICE arrest and deportation data from the Office of Homeland Security Statistics to provide a more contextual look at how the past few administrations have carried out immigration policies.
The most recent complete data on ICE arrests and deportations from the Office of Homeland Security Statistics is three months behind, with ICE working toward publishing enforcement statistics every month, according to an ICE spokesperson.
Thus, the latest data in the Hearst Television Data Team's analysis is from November 2024.
The most recent administrative arrest data from ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations shows that monthly arrests for November 2024, the last data available, were at around 8,300 for the month or an average of less than 300 arrests per day.
ICE enforcement includes both interior and border and is separate from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrests. ICE also is separate from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Arrests, however, don't necessarily equate to deportation. Deportation data from the Office of Homeland Security Statistics show a declined number of enforcement returns in the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations that began to grow under Joe Biden. Enforcement returns occur when someone tries to cross the border and is returned without going through formal removal proceedings.
The Office of Homeland Security Statistics doesn鈥檛 report 鈥渄eportations,鈥� but instead reports total repatriations, which in addition to enforcement returns, include removals, administrative returns and expulsions. The 鈥� a nonpartisan think-tank that focuses on immigration policy 鈥� defines a deportation as a removal or an enforcement return.
Removals, which also occur at either the interior or border, are a formal process. Removals grew steadily during the Bush and Obama administrations until the COVID-19 pandemic when Biden鈥檚 use of Title 42 expulsions and enforcement returns grew. Title 42 began in March 2020 and ended in May 2023 with the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Under , people who arrived at the border were automatically expelled 鈥� with some exceptions.
鈥淵ou started seeing, starting with the Bush administration, this idea of trying to basically break the cycle and to incentivize people not to keep crossing the border illegally,鈥� said Michelle Mittelstadt, the director of communications for the Migration Policy Institute.
A removal is a formal process that essentially places sanctions on people from reentering. After removal, people can鈥檛 return for a minimum of five years. An enforcement return, however, takes less time and doesn鈥檛 halt individuals from reentering.
The changing policies over prior administrations also show shifting priorities for enforcement. The majority of arrests under the Department of Homeland Security have occurred at the border for years.
This data includes both arrests by ICE or U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). CBP is responsible for people coming into the U.S., while ICE makes arrests both at the border and the interior.
Trump鈥檚 new administration hasn鈥檛 directly described plans to carry out all removals in the interior, Mittelstadt said, describing some of the actions including going into communities or sensitive locations. But, it's indicative of an administration wanting to remove people from the interior, she said.
A White House statement last week cited a decline in apprehensions or arrests at the southwest border from December to January.
The statement referenced data that includes times someone was stopped at the southwestern border 鈥� including both apprehensions and people who are deemed inadmissible.
Apprehensions alone declined over 38% last month. Apprehensions are when people who cross the border illegally are stopped and arrested. A person is inadmissible when attempting to enter the United States legally but is denied entry.
鈥淎nytime you have changing U.S. policy at the border, and certainly a perception of hardening of policy, you have at least a period of a few months where migrants are hanging back and trying to understand how the policy environment is changing,鈥� Mittelstadt said.
The dip also follows a somewhat steady decline in encounters. In January 2024, the number of southwestern border apprehensions were cut in half and have declined almost every month since, according to CBP data. This is due to both more enforcement by Mexican authorities and issued in June of last year that prevented people who cross the southern border without authorization ineligible for asylum.
鈥淏ut the reality also is that migration pauses tend to be just that: pauses,鈥� Mittelstadt said. 鈥淪muggling organizations develop new routes and the push factors and the pull factors that kind of compel people to migrate don't disappear, right? They just get rerouted in different ways.鈥�
