In his final days as Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas defended the Biden administration’s approach to border security and immigration enforcement. Speaking with the Associated Press, Mayorkas emphasized that the administration has prioritized the arrest and deportation of dangerous undocumented immigrants, countering criticism from the incoming Trump administration and immigration officials.
However, deportation statistics under the Biden administration tell a different story, showing a significant decline in the removal of criminal migrants compared to the early years of the Trump administration.
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A Sharp Decline in Deportation Numbers
Mayorkas insisted that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has focused on public safety threats, stating, “That’s exactly what we’ve done and what we’ve focused on.” However, data from the National Immigration Center for Enforcement (NICE) shows a marked difference in deportation trends.
During the first three fiscal years of the Biden administration, 273,708 deportations were carried out, including those by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This represents a dramatic drop compared to the 749,462 deportations executed during the same period under the Trump administration.
The decline is even starker for criminal migrant removals:
- Trump Administration (First 3 Fiscal Years): 423,102 criminal deportations
- Biden Administration (First 3 Fiscal Years): 134,617 criminal deportations
This 70% decrease has raised questions about the effectiveness of the Biden administration’s enforcement strategy, particularly as the U.S.-Mexico border crisis escalates.
Border Crisis and Record-High Encounters
The drop in deportations coincides with an unprecedented surge in illegal crossings. Fiscal years 2023 and 2024 marked the highest levels of migrant encounters in U.S. history, with over 8.5 million encounters reported at the southern border during Biden’s term. Critics argue that this surge underscores the administration’s inability to maintain effective immigration control.
Former ICE Chief Tom Homan, tapped to lead border security under the incoming Trump administration, sharply criticized the Biden administration’s policies.
“The arrest and deportation of criminal migrants is down 74%. Despite claims of prioritizing public safety threats, the numbers tell a different story,” Homan said, describing the drop as “a disgrace.”
Trump’s Renewed Immigration Agenda
As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, his administration has promised to take a more aggressive approach to immigration enforcement. Trump has vowed to prioritize the deportation of criminal migrants while addressing the broader border crisis.
At a recent rally, Trump reiterated his commitment to securing the border and reinstating stricter immigration policies. “We will restore law and order at our borders, end this chaos, and protect American families,” he declared.
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The Road Ahead for U.S. Immigration Policy
Mayorkas, who will leave office within a week, defended the administration’s handling of a complex global migration crisis but acknowledged ongoing challenges. With the transition of power on the horizon, the nation awaits how Trump’s renewed immigration policies will impact enforcement priorities, deportation rates, and the broader border security landscape.
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