The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Tuesday that nearly 5,700 illegal immigrants have been deported in the first two weeks of President Donald Trump’s second term, marking the first concrete data point in his administration’s aggressive push for mass deportations.

According to DHS, 5,693 individuals were deported or removed to 121 countries between Inauguration Day (January 20, 2025) and February 3, 2025. While this figure represents a sharp increase in enforcement visibility, experts note that it still falls short of the deportation numbers recorded under former President Joe Biden, whose administration averaged 12,200 removals per week in its final months.

The release of this data marks the first official deportation figures published by the Trump administration since its return to the White House.

Trump’s 2024 re-election campaign was centered heavily on border security and immigration enforcement, with promises to remove millions of illegal immigrants who remained in the country under Biden’s watch. His administration has been eager to showcase its efforts, posting daily updates on social media highlighting immigration arrests, deportations, and detainer requests.

For Trump, the numbers matter politically—his campaign rhetoric revolved around executing mass deportations at an unprecedented scale. Yet, at the current pace, the administration would only deport about half the number of individuals removed during Biden’s final fiscal year.

However, the rollout has been far from smooth. Trump’s renewed deportation efforts have already tested diplomatic relations with Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, and Venezuela, all of whom have expressed concerns over the repatriation of detainees. Meanwhile, the administration’s decision to expand migrant detention operations at Guantanamo Bay has raised further questions about the scope and legality of its strategy.

While the Trump administration has made high-profile arrests a top priority, the overall deportation figures still lag behind past administrations.

Deportation Totals by Administration:

• Joe Biden (Jan 2021 – Nov 2024): 4.6 million deportations (March 2022 peak: 147,080 in one month)
• Donald Trump (First Term, 2017–2021): 2.1 million deportations (Oct. 2020 peak: 91,120 in one month)
• Barack Obama (2009–2017): 5.3 million deportations (2009 peak: 973,937 in one year)

While not all removals involve ICE operations, many deportees are individuals apprehended at the border and turned away. Others have been detained in the U.S. for extended periods before deportation orders were finalized.

With an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country, Trump still has a long road ahead in meeting his sweeping immigration goals.

Despite the modest start, border czar Tom Homan has reassured Trump’s base that his team is prioritizing the deportation of violent criminals while ramping up broader enforcement operations.

“Our DHS enforcement officers have arrested thousands of dangerous criminal aliens,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X (formerly Twitter). “Recent arrests include convicted murderers, rapists, child abusers, drug traffickers, MS-13 gang members, and cartel operatives. Under President Trump, America is no longer a safe haven for violent criminals.”

However, immigration analysts remain skeptical about the administration’s ability to dramatically increase removals.

“I am doubtful that they could produce an accurate report of ICE’s enforcement actions so quickly,” said César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, an immigration expert at Ohio State University. “The video was released Tuesday morning but claims to include data through Monday. DHS has never been known for releasing accurate real-time enforcement data.”

Others, like David Bier of the Cato Institute, caution that most removals so far appear to be border-related rather than large-scale interior enforcement sweeps—which would require significant expansion of ICE’s capabilities.

As Trump’s administration pushes forward with its immigration crackdown, pressure is mounting from supporters who want to see deportations increase dramatically.

While some allies have praised the current efforts as a “good start,” others argue that deportation numbers should far exceed the current rate. The White House has already requested additional funding from Congress to hire more ICE officers and expand detention capacity, though it remains unclear if lawmakers will approve it.

For now, the administration is expected to continue heavily promoting its enforcement efforts, with more high-profile arrests and expedited deportations in the coming weeks. However, with diplomatic pushback, logistical hurdles, and limited detention space, Trump’s mass deportation plan remains a politically volatile challenge—one that will define the early months of his second term.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)