Overview
- White House border czar Tom Homan said Wednesday that deportations are “slightly down” and reported roughly 800,000 removals since the administration took office, asserting about 60% had criminal records.
- The Department of Homeland Security disputed the slowdown and released a far higher tally, saying more than three million people have been removed during the same period.
- Officials and reporting attribute the recent dip in enforcement to fallout from Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, legal challenges, sanctuary policies, and the transition at DHS from Kristi Noem to Markwayne Mullin.
- Hard‑line groups such as the Mass Deportation Coalition are pressing for rapid increases in arrests and have urged DHS to consider a plan to deport one million people, raising political pressure on the department.
- The scale of removals sits against CBP data showing roughly 10.9 million encounters from fiscal years 2021–2024, and the dispute could drive more court fights, state resistance, and shifting enforcement priorities that directly affect migrants and local communities.