President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to deport millions of undocumented immigrants residing in the United States, but the pace of deportations has held steady compared to last year, according to an analysis of deportation flight data. The data, provided by an advocacy group tracking ICE flights, reveals that the number of deportation flights under the Biden administration remains similar to those under Trump.
Trump administration officials have emphasized their immigration enforcement efforts, showcasing arrests and migrants boarding flights for deportation. Removals across the US southern border to Mexico have continued, contributing to the overall number of removals. The Trump administration's goals of detaining and deporting undocumented immigrants have faced challenges due to limited resources.
The use of military aircraft for deportation flights began early in the Trump administration, supplementing regular ICE flights at a higher cost. While there have been slight changes in the countries receiving flights, the majority still go to Latin America.
Since Trump took office, the US has secured new agreements with multiple countries to accept third-country migrants and restarted deportation flights to Venezuela. New destinations for deportation flights in 2025 include Brazil, Panama, and India, with Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador remaining top destinations.
In early February, Guatemala announced a 40% increase in deportation flights from the US. However, data shows a slight decrease in flights to Guatemala and Honduras, with an increase in flights to Ecuador and Colombia.
The use of military aircraft for deportation flights has led to tensions with countries like Colombia, almost resulting in a trade war early in the Trump administration. Subsequently, agreements were reached to address these issues.
