Dec 19, 2024 - Politics & Policy

U.S. deportations hit highest number in a decade in 2024

Sareen Habeshian

Migrants near the Rio Grande along the US-Mexico border in Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico, on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. President-elect Donald Trump's transition team has reached out to the governments of Mexico and El Salvador through back channels about taking in some of the millions of undocumen — Migrants near the Rio Grande along the U.S.-Mexico border on Dec. 18. Photo: David Peinado/Bloomberg via Getty Images

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported more than 271,000 people last fiscal year — the highest number in nearly a decade, according to an annual report released Thursday.

The big picture: The report marks a 90% increase in deportations from 2023 even as Republicans assailed President Biden as weak on the border throughout the election.

President-elect Trump has vowed to crack down on immigration and start mass deportations.

By the numbers: 271,484 people were deported to 192 countries between Oct. 1, 2023, to Sept. 30. 2024, per the report.

That's an increase of 90.4% compared to fiscal year 2023 and an increase of 276.1% compared to fiscal year 2022.

Zoom in: Of those deported, 88,763 (about 33%) faced charges or convictions for criminal activity, according to ICE.

Immigrants arrested for homicides accounted for less than 1% of the arrests in fiscal year 2024.

What they're saying: ICE deputy director Patrick Lechleitner called it a year of "monumental changes," saying in the report that "the agency was called on to do more without commensurate funding, working within the confines of strained resources and competing priorities."

More from Axios:

Add Axios on Google

U.S. deportations hit highest number in a decade in 2024

What to read next