DHS counts 'self-deports' to claim 2M deportations
Axios reports the Trump administration’s 2 million 'removed or self-deported' figure since Inauguration Day relies on survey-based estimates that attribute roughly 1.6 million to 'self-deportations' derived from the Census Bureau’s CPS, a method experts say is shaky. DHS has stopped regularly publishing traditional removal/return breakdowns on its website; FY2024 data show ~330,000 removals and 447,600 returns, while DHS says 400,000 people have been deported since Trump took office without specifying the split, and a 'CBP Home' app reportedly offers paid travel and $1,000 to self-deport.
Politics
Immigration
📌 Key Facts
- DHS Sept. 23 release claims 2 million 'removed or self-deported' in ~250 days; about 80% (1.6M) are 'self-deports' from CPS estimates.
- Center for Immigration Studies produced the CPS-based analysis, noting caveats like small sample size (~60,000 households) and potential nonresponse bias.
- FY2024 DHS database shows ~330,000 removals and 447,600 returns; DHS says 400,000 deported since Trump took office but hasn’t provided the removals/returns split.
- Axios says DHS has paused routine publication of deportation statistics and that a 'CBP Home' app offers government-paid travel plus a $1,000 incentive to self-deport.