Unauthorized Departure of Over a Million Undocumented Individuals from the United States as Confirmed by the Minister of Interior - Undocumented Individuals: Over a Million Depart from the United States, as Observable through Home Secretary's Statement
In the aftermath of the 2021 inauguration, the number of undocumented individuals leaving the United States has not been quantified in available data. However, the immigration enforcement efforts during the Trump administration (2017-2021) were marked by stricter policies, such as overhauling the H-1B visa program to prioritize higher-wage foreign workers and making the citizenship test more difficult. These measures aimed to reduce undocumented immigration and increase deportations or removals of undocumented individuals [3].
More recent indications from 2025 suggest a potential change in immigration policy, with legislation like the Build Back Better (BBB) Act contemplating an expansion of immigration parole protections for over 7 million undocumented immigrants who have lived in the U.S. since at least 2011. This expansion would provide parole status, protecting these individuals from deportation and granting work authorization, potentially affecting undocumented population departure trends [1].
The current administration's approach to immigration has been highly controversial, with the Homeland Security Minister, Noem, launching a recruitment campaign to hire 10,000 agents for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE agents have been conducting raids across the country, detaining immigrants in plain clothes since the president's inauguration [6].
Border security under the current administration has been unprecedented, with the number of apprehensions at the border with Mexico significantly decreasing over the past year. In June 2023, 9,309 migrants were apprehended attempting to illegally cross the border, compared to 130,415 in June 2022 [4]. This decrease in apprehensions may be attributed to the enhanced border security measures implemented by the administration [5].
The president's pledge during his campaign to crack down on undocumented immigrants and deport millions has not been fully realized, with more than one million people returning to their home countries since the inauguration of the current administration on January 20 [2]. It is important to note that these figures represent instances where migrants were caught while attempting to cross the border illegally, not the total number of undocumented immigrants residing in the U.S. [7].
Approximately 41 million immigrants currently reside in the United States, with around 11 million being undocumented, primarily from Latin America [8]. The future of immigration policy and the implications for the undocumented population remain a topic of ongoing debate and discussion. For more detailed statistics on deportations or removals over time, official sources like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Department of Homeland Security reports are recommended.
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57810527 [2] https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/18/politics/ice-deportations-under-biden/index.html [3] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/25/us/politics/trump-immigration-executive-orders.html [4] https://www.dhs.gov/news/2023/07/01/southern-border-encounter-numbers-june-2023 [5] https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/06/01/fact-sheet-the-biden-harris-administrations-record-on-the-border/ [6] https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-immigration-agents-conduct-raids-arrest-undocumented-immigrants-2021-03-09/ [7] https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/20/us/politics/deportations-biden-ice-immigration.html [8] https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2021/03/23/key-findings-about-u-s-immigrants-based-on-the-census-bureau-data/
- The Homeland Security Secretary, Christi Noem, under the current administration, has initiated a recruitment campaign to hire 10,000 agents for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a move that falls under the broader realm of politics and general news, and has been heavily debated.
- In contrast to the stricter immigration policies during the Trump administration (2017-2021), the Build Back Better (BBB) Act, a piece of policy-and-legislation under consideration, offers potential parole protections for over 7 million undocumented immigrants, which could significantly impact the number of undocumented immigrants leaving the United States.
