DHS touts millions of illegal immigrant departures as border crossings drop 94% under Trump

President Donald Trump’s first year back in office has seen more than 3 million illegal immigrants leave the United States, including an estimated 2.2 million "self-deportations," according to figures shared with Fox News Digital by the Department of Homeland Security.

DHS said the administration has also deported nearly 900,000 illegal immigrants and arrested more than 900,000 others as of May 17, framing the numbers as evidence Trump’s immigration crackdown is reshaping migration patterns after record illegal crossings during former President Joe Biden’s administration.

"In President Trump’s first year back in office, more than 3 million illegal aliens have left the U.S. because of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration including an estimated 2.2 million self-deportations," a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

The administration has increasingly promoted self-deportation through the CBP Home app, which allows migrants to voluntarily leave the country with travel assistance and financial support.

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DHS says the program costs significantly less than traditional deportation proceedings and is designed to encourage migrants in the country illegally to leave voluntarily.

The figures come as the administration touts dramatic declines in illegal crossings and what officials describe as the end of "catch-and-release" policies at the southern border.

Last week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Border Patrol had gone a full year without releasing illegal immigrants directly into the U.S. interior after apprehension at the border.

SOUTHERN BORDER APPREHENSIONS PLUNGE MORE THAN 90% FROM YEAR AGO IN APRIL, CBP SAYS

CBP said Border Patrol recorded 8,943 apprehensions at the southwestern border in April, a 94% drop from the Biden administration’s monthly average and 96% below the December 2023 peak.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said last week that "the days of catch and release are over," arguing the administration’s enforcement policies are deterring migrants from attempting to enter the country illegally.

The administration has also pointed to increased ICE operations, tighter asylum restrictions and expanded interior enforcement as factors contributing to what officials describe as a broader deterrence effect.

Immigration analysts say the administration’s tougher enforcement posture has clearly reduced illegal crossings, though some dispute how DHS characterizes some of the figures tied to migrant releases and removals.

Fox News Digital's Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.