Noem: Over 150,000 Migrants Deported Since Trump's Inauguration

EL PASO, Texas ( Border Report )—Homeland Security SecretaryKristi Noem turned to X on Friday to publicize recent arrests of migrants charged with sexual offenses and violent crimes like murder and theft.

"Each day, I receive a report detailing the people we've apprehended within this nation who were involved in instigating violence against our communities and posing risks to families," stated Noem.

During her 50-second speech, she said something that raised questions.

President Trump has only been in office for a brief period, but during this time, more than 150,000 people have been apprehended and sent back home. Many of these individuals were highly dangerous criminals, making our neighborhoods significantly safer as claimed by Noem.

REPORT: In November, around 30K unregistered patients sought care at Texas hospitals.

As she flipped through pictures of several of the individuals involved, she expressed her gratitude to President Trump for "his guidance that has ensured people like these are no longer residing in the United States."

Apprehensions of migrants along the Southwest border have been declining since last June and have dramatically decreased following President Trump’s inauguration on January 20th. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, only about 7,181 migrants were encountered in March, which represents a 95 percent drop compared to the 137,473 individuals who were apprehended in March 2024.

In the preceding month, which was February 2025, the total number of border apprehensions amounted to just 8,346.

Critics speculated that this would necessitate the administration’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency to remove a large number of individuals from within the country.

I don't think this figure represents an ICE arrest count. It has been 93 complete days since the inauguration. An amount of 150,000 would imply an average of 1,613 daily ICE arrests, tweeted Aaron Richlin-Melnick, an immigration lawyer and senior fellow at the American Immigration Council.

He stated that the reports indicate ICE has found it challenging to meet the target of 1,000 apprehensions each day.

“There seems to be something suspicious happening here,” he remarked.

In a report issued on Thursday The nonpartisan think tank based in Washington, D.C., the Migration Policy Institute, reported that ICE arrests have surged over twofold from approximately 310 per day in 2024 to around 650 daily as of mid-March.

Reichlin-Melnick later said ICE arrests plus CBP encounters possibly reaching as high as the 150,000 mentioned by Noem.

Using CBP inadmissible data as part of an 'arrest' count is misleading because it encompasses individuals facing visa problems who were redirected upon arrival at land and air entry points—this amounts to roughly 20,000 per month," Reichlin-Melnick posted on Twitter. "That would make up about 40% of Noem's reported total of 150,000.

Trump might not deport one million people annually, but the effect on immigration could still be 'historical.'

According to the Migration Policy Institute, ICE expanded its detention capacity from 41,500 beds last year to 54,000 by March; however, at that time, only about 47,000 of these beds were being used.

The group features one of its board members, Doris Meissner, a former immigration commissioner appointed during the Clinton administration. She stated that ICE primarily apprehends undocumented immigrants being deported from within the nation’s interior at local jails and state prisons through programs like 287(g).

To increase arrests, the administration has significantly increased these agreements threefold, raising the count from 135 in December to 456 currently, with an additional 107 applications still under review.

This change has eliminated limitations on apprehending individuals within places of worship, educational institutions, and medical facilities. It now mandates that unauthorized immigrants must step forward, get registered, and provide their biological data voluntarily; otherwise, they will be subject to legal consequences.

The complete enforcement of the Laken Riley Act—which permits arresting undocumented immigrants involved in minor offenses—is awaiting congressional allocation for extra detention facility spaces for tens of thousands, according to MPI.

Nevertheless, the organization anticipates that Trump will keep expanding deportations using "all available tools and resources."

This will significantly affect the U.S. immigration system historically, even if the administration fails to reach its stated aim of deporting 1 million people annually, according to MPI.

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