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The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday released new figures showing that more than 2.5 million people have left the United States since January, reflecting the success of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts.
According to DHS, more than 605,000 people have been deported since Jan. 20, with officials emphasizing that operations have prioritized those identified as serious criminal offenders. The department also highlighted the CBP Home app, which allows individuals to arrange transportation assistance for voluntary departures.
“Since January 20, DHS has arrested more than 595,000 illegal aliens,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in the statement. “Illegal aliens are hearing our message to leave now. They know if they don’t, we will find them, we will arrest them, and they will never return.”
DHS credited President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with directing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection to execute targeted enforcement campaigns focused on individuals with criminal records.
The department said the shrinking number of illegal residents in the country is producing local effects, including reduced pressure on public services and shifts in job availability.
To increase control over deportation logistics, DHS has also purchased several Boeing 737 aircraft to transport detainees, marking a shift away from reliance on charter operators.
The aircraft purchase was made possible after Congress approved a significant funding increase for Trump’s immigration agenda. Lawmakers authorized $170 billion for border and immigration operations over four years as part of the GOP tax bill.
The move also comes as the Trump administration on Wednesday unveiled plans to establish another militarized zone along the U.S. southern border, this time across major sections of California, marking a significant expansion of the military’s role in border enforcement.
RSBN previously reported that the Department of the Interior said it will transfer jurisdiction over most of California’s boundary with Mexico to the Navy, describing the move as part of an effort to reinforce “the historic role public lands have played in safeguarding national sovereignty.” Officials said the area is a high-traffic corridor for unlawful border crossings.