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Immigration

ICE Deportation Flights Increased by 44% Since Trump Returned to Office

The Trump administration removed immigrants to 25 countries that had not received deportees since 2020, according to analysis by Human Rights First.

Shackled migrants deplane an aircraft used for deportation flights at the Valley International Airport in Harlingen, Texas.

Shackled migrants deplane an aircraft used for deportation flights at the Valley International Airport in Harlingen, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Gonzalez)

By Jackie Llanos

January 13, 2026 06:17 p.m.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement carried out more than 2,000 deportation flights from President Donald Trump’s inauguration to the end of 2025, amounting to a 44% increase from 2024, according to a newly released analysis.

The report by Human Rights First, published Monday, provides detail into how Trump ramped up deportation efforts in 2025, expanding the volume and footprint of removal flights.

Human Rights First documented ICE-contracted flights using planes’ registration numbers, recurring flight routes, ICE detention center and destination locations.