US ICE carried out record 483,200 removals in one fiscal year

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) carried out 483,200 removals in the last fiscal year, the Department of Homeland Security reported, marking the highest annual total in the agency's 23-year history.

Data released by the department show a clear increase in removals since Donald Trump began his second term: in the two years that largely overlap with his administration there were more than 400,000 removals each year, while during the final year of his predecessor Joe Biden the number stood at 271,000.

Questions about transparency

Experts and rights advocates have raised concerns about the transparency of the statistics, noting that key details — for example how many of those removed had prior criminal convictions — are not publicly available and limit independent oversight.

Critics point out that, since the start of Trump's second term, the government has stopped publishing regular, detailed statistics on immigration detention and removals, a shift that makes scrutiny of practices and outcomes harder.

After taking office, the administration tightened deportation policies and provided additional funding for deportation officers, detention centers and removal flights. Human rights organizations have complained that some removals involve transfers to third countries that are not the individuals' country of origin and that many people lack effective judicial avenues to challenge deportation orders.

The intensified enforcement has also sparked protests across the United States and renewed attention to questions of transparency and human rights compliance in immigration enforcement.

Photo: press material from the event