Trump’s Immigration Numbers: Fact vs. Fiction

By Felicia J. Persaud

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. May 30, 2025: In the current political landscape, immigration remains a hot-button issue, and no one exploits it quite like Donald Trump. Back in the White House, Trump has once again made bold claims about his administration’s immigration enforcement achievements. But latest data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, (TRAC), exposes a stark disconnect between the Trump administration’s rhetoric and the actual numbers.

Demonstrators rally outside Miami Federal Court calling for Governor Ron DeSantis to abide by the court’s restraining order blocking enforcement of a new immigration law, in Miami on May 29, 2025. Federal Judge Kathleen Williams issued a temporary injunction against the immigrant law which according to opponents created new state crimes targeting immigrants entering and living in Florida. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

In an April 28, 2025 press release celebrating its first 100 days, the Trump administration claimed to have already “surpassed the entirety of Fiscal Year 2024” in immigration enforcement, citing over 151,000 arrests and 135,000 deportations. However, TRAC’s independently verified figures tell a much different story.

Let’s start with deportations. According to ICE’s semi-monthly detention statistics, which TRAC meticulously tracks, the actual number of removals under Trump during his first 98 days – from January 26 to May 3, 2025 – was just 72,179. That’s nearly half the 135,000 removals Trump claimed. In contrast, the Joe Biden administration recorded 271,484 removals in the entirety of Fiscal Year 2024. To put it plainly, Biden’s deportation numbers were nearly four times higher than Trump’s in the comparable time frame.

On arrests, which the administration referred to as “book-ins,” the Trump administration reported 151,000 arrests during the same 100-day period. Yet, TRAC data shows only 76,212 arrests – just over half the claimed number. These exaggerations are not minor errors; they are calculated misrepresentations.

When examining daily averages – a more accurate measure across different time frames – the picture remains consistent. Under Biden, there were an average of 742 deportations and 759 arrests per day in FY 2024. Trump’s current averages are 737 deportations and 778 arrests per day. That amounts to just a 1% decrease in deportations and a modest 2% increase in arrests under Trump compared to Biden. Not quite the “skyrocketing” figures the administration touts.

Moreover, the administration has taken steps to obscure these realities. The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Homeland Security Statistics, (OHSS), has failed to publish updated enforcement data since November 2024, a troubling breach of transparency. It wasn’t until well after the fanfare of Trump’s “100-day achievements” that ICE quietly released delayed data. TRAC notes the reports were posted late on a Friday and the following Monday, likely to minimize public scrutiny.

Beyond the numbers, the Trump administration’s focus appears increasingly punitive and political. Immigrants who are complying with legal procedures – attending scheduled ICE check-ins, applying for green cards, or pursuing citizenship – have reported being ambushed and detained. Foreign students have found themselves targeted for expressing dissenting views. These are not the hardened criminals Trump claims to be removing. They are law-abiding residents being used as political pawns.

Meanwhile, public messaging has grown more aggressive. The administration now uses scare tactics, urging undocumented immigrants to self-deport to avoid being forcefully removed. Yet, despite military involvement and redeployment of agency staff, Trump’s actual enforcement numbers fail to match his bluster.

This glaring gap between words and actions underlines a fundamental truth: the Trump administration’s immigration spin is more about headlines than results. In the face of misleading narratives, the role of independent data and persistent scrutiny is more crucial than ever. Americans deserve an immigration policy grounded in truth, not theatrics.

Felicia J. Persaud is the publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com, a daily news outlet focused on positive news about Black immigrant communities from the Caribbean and Latin America.