Rep. Roy Asks DHS for Data on Deportations
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Chip Roy (TX-21) sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin asking for data on how many illegal aliens have been arrested and deported from the U.S. after years of chaos at the border under the Biden Administration.
“As Congress and the American people witness the Trump Administration’s historic efforts to restore border security and enforce our immigration laws after years of failed policies under the Biden Administration, a timely and comprehensive accounting of the Administration’s enforcement actions is essential. Detailed reporting on arrests, removals, and other immigration enforcement activities will help policymakers evaluate progress, identify opportunities for improvement, and support ongoing efforts to fulfill President Trump’s mandate to carry out the largest deportation operation in our nation’s history,” said Rep. Roy.
Excerpts from the letter:
As you work to secure our nation’s borders and immigration system after four years of deliberately reckless open border policies by the Biden-Harris-Mayorkas administration, we write to request an update on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) progress in fulfilling President Trump’s commitment to effectuating the largest mass deportation operation of illegal aliens in our nation’s history.
As you are likely aware, at least 10 million illegal aliens entered the United States under the Biden administration, adding to the estimated 11 million to 22 million illegal alien population in the country that existed before the border crisis began, worsening economic opportunities, cultural dysfunction, and security concerns for American communities nationwide posed by illegal immigration.
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While DHS asserts it conducted more than 605,000 deportations in all of 2025, some news outlets have claimed the Trump administration has conducted upwards of 230,000 removals across the interior last year. These conflicting figures could understandably cause confusion on the extent to which the administration has reached its goal of one million deportations for a single calendar year.
However, DHS has not provided an exact accounting of its removal figures in a year and a half – publicly or to Congress - that clearly quantifies deportation data by whether these deported illegal aliens were apprehended at the border or interior, what percentage have criminal backgrounds, and the methodology behind the number of unauthorized aliens that have reportedly repatriated themselves.