Recent data analysis from the National Immigration Center for Enforcement (NICE) reveals a significant decline in deportations by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under President Joe Biden compared to his predecessor, Donald Trump.
Fox News reported that the interior deportations have substantially dropped despite high rates of encounters with illegal immigrants during the Biden administration.
During the Trump administration, ICE removed a total of 935,346 illegal immigrants, accounting for 31.1% of over 2 million encounters. In stark contrast, the Biden administration has overseen the removal of only 406,638 illegal immigrants, a mere 4.4% of more than 9.6 million encounters. This discrepancy presents a different narrative from what some media outlets and critics have suggested.
The data spanning fiscal years 2018 to 2023 underscores a considerable reduction in deportations, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The numbers saw a slight resurgence post-pandemic but remained substantially lower than previous years. For instance, in fiscal year 2022, deportations increased to 72,177 from a pandemic low of 59,011 in 2021.
Higher Department of Homeland Security (DHS) total removal figures, including quick border returns managed by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), create an appearance of high overall deportations, contrasting sharply with the specific ICE interior removal numbers.
With changing policies and the end of Title 42 in May of the previous year, the procedures for deportation and return processing were significantly altered. These policy shifts reportedly led to decreased border encounters, as highlighted by President Biden during his visit to El Paso, Texas, on January 8, 2023.
Jennifer Palmieri, former White House communications director, credited diplomacy spearheaded by Vice President Kamala Harris for the reduction in border crossings, stating, "Border crossings are down. And one of the reasons is her assignment was diplomacy, and she did a lot of work in other countries to try to stop the flow."
Political responses to these findings have been varied. Critics argue that the Biden administration's deportation numbers are inflated by quick border returns rather than actual removals, skewing public perception. Joe Edlow, a former official in the Trump administration, critiqued the current administration’s approach, emphasizing Trump's focus on deporting criminals.
Joe Edlow said:
The majority of all Southwest border encounters during the past three fiscal years resulted in a removal, return, or expulsion. That included more removals to countries other than Mexico than in any prior year ever.
In response to criticism, President Biden stressed the effectiveness of his border security measures. "We’re also securing our border. Border crossings are lower today than when the previous administration left office," he noted, indicating a possibly stabilizing effect of the new policies on illegal border crossings.
Despite ongoing debates and varied perceptions fueled by media and political narratives, a clear component emerges: the approach to deportations and border management has shifted significantly under the Biden administration. This reveals a complex picture that blends heightened border encounters with a marked reduction in deportations from within the U.S.
In conclusion, while public perception and media narratives have occasionally suggested a rise in deportations under President Biden, data from ICE and broader Department of Homeland Security numbers paint a contrasting picture of significant decreases in interior removals despite an overall rise in immigrant encounters.
As policies and administrative priorities evolve, the true impact of these changes continues to unfold, shaping public perception and policy debate in the realm of U.S. immigration enforcement.
