# of People DHS Is Removing/Returning From US Continues to Decline

Despite Central American Migrant Crisis, The Number of People DHS Is Removing and Returning to Other Countries From the US Continues to Decline

Yesterday, DHS released “Immigration Enforcement Actions,” one of its annual reports looking at the immigration enforcement system (a second more detailed report on deportations will be coming out in a few weeks).

Among the more interesting findings is that continued decline of the total number of people DHS is removing from the US and returning to other countries.   This decline comes despite evidence of significant increases of unauthorized migration from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. 

At the very least this calls into question the argument some have made that the Administration has “ratcheted” up immigration enforcement as the total number of people DHS is taking out of the US each year is less than half of what it was a decade ago. 

Additionally, this data confirms one of the more important trends in migration in recent years:  the decline of people attempting to enter the US without permission, and the stabilization of the undocumented population here. Please check out the graphs below.  For a comprehensive look at the border trends this data speaks to, read our recent report: “NDN/NPI Report on Central American Migrants and President Obama’s Immigration/Border Enforcement Record.”