Published May 21, 2024
Overview. Details on all Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) removals have been compiled from case-by-case records obtained from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These records were originally obtained after a persistent FOIA campaign and successful court litigation[1] by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse University.
These data tools contain individual records on each recorded ICE deportation. These include expedited removals, regular removals, reinstatement of previous removal orders after the individual has re-entered the U.S., voluntary departures, and returns. Other specialized types also are shown. The data do not include deportations by Customs and Border Protection (CBP). However, the data do include deportations eventually resulting from apprehensions at ports of entry and by the Border Patrol where custody of the individual was transferred to ICE. This occurs when the process of deportation is not fairly immediate, since CBP only has temporary holding facilities and the individual must be transferred to ICE to house in longer-term detention facilities that only ICE manages.
For each individual ICE deports, information on the city and state of the port that the individuals departed from, the nature of the immigration violation giving rise to their deportation, the type of agency and program that led to their apprehension (including whether use of a detainer was involved and whether the arrest occurred at the border or in the interior of the country), the year the individual had last entered the United States and their entry status at that time. In addition to demographic information, detailed criminal histories for each individual are available. The findings reported are based on TRAC's detailed analysis of these case-by-case ICE records.
Coverage. The ICE data cover each recorded ICE deportation from the start of FY 2003 through the most recent month (as shown) available. Updated data are requested each month from ICE through a new FOIA request submitted by TRAC. Data in the tool are then updated after ICE releases the information in response to these requests and updated data analyses are completed by TRAC. The most recently available coverage date is recorded at the top of the data tool.
Filtering the data using the three data tables. Select a different factor or dimension to display in each of the three tables. The tables are inter-connected so that the data filter from left to right. After selecting a factor to display in the left most table, select a particular row category to drill in on by clicking on that row's label in the leftmost table. The middle table will then display the details for that particular selection from the left table on the dimension you had chosen to display for the middle table. In other words, if you click on a category in the left table it displays only cases within that class in the middle table. Click on a category in the middle table to display only cases within that selection in the right table. To help you keep track, your selection is displayed at the top of the table to the right.
Sorting the tabular data displayed. By clicking just above the column headings in a table, you can sort the tabular data displayed. Clicking above the table column heading for the name of the dimension, sorts each tabular row in alphabetical order. Clicking a second time, sorts in reverse alphabetical order. Clicking above the column heading "Total" reverses the default sort order of largest to smallest to display from the smallest to the largest value.
Selecting what is displayed in the time series graph. The data in the graph updates to reflect the category in the table you selected when clicking on its row label. The title shown above the graph indicates the selection criteria you have chosen. Mouseover any bar in the graph to view the value being plotted.
There are also two additional controls you can use to change what the graph displays.
Monthly versus FY toggle. By default, the time series graph displays data for each month. To instead display bars for each fiscal year, choose the "by Fiscal Year" option to the left of the graph.
Number/percent toggle. By default, the number of cases is displayed in the graph. To instead display the value as a percent of the total for your current selection, choose the "Percent" option to the right of the graph. (Note: 100 percent will be displayed if the total ("All") was the category you have currently selected.)
Fiscal Year Deported. This is always the fiscal year when ICE deported the individual. The federal government's fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30. So, for example, FY 2015 will return cases filed from October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015[2].
Month and Year Deported. This is the calendar month and year when the individual was deported by ICE.
State Departed from at Deportation. The state or territory that ICE recorded for the location of the “port of entry” where the individual was deported from.
City Departed from at Deportation. The name of the "port of entry" that the individual was deported from. Note that occasionally ICE lists a location outside the U.S. as the port of entry the individual departed from. Sometimes the lengthy ICE text label describing these can extend beyond the width of a table and is shortened with ellipses (…). A list with the full ICE text label is found here.
Previously Deported. Whether the individual had been previously deported from the U.S.
Current Deportation Type. The recorded type of deportation – e.g., expedited removal, regular removal, reinstatement of a prior removal, voluntary departure, or voluntary return[3]. Among the types of removals, expedited removals are ordered by ICE without the review by any judge and bar the individual from re-entry for 5 years. Regular removals include both removals ordered by ICE as well as those ordered by an immigration judge[4]. Here an individual is barred from re-entry for 10 or 20 years, or sometimes for life. Administrative reinstatement of a prior removal order can occur if an individual has been previously removed and then re-enters the U.S. during the period re-entry is barred. A voluntary departure can be ordered by an immigration judge in place of a removal order. While the individual is required to leave the country, they are not legally barred from re-entry if they depart within the specified time period. Under administrative voluntary return procedures, the individual departs without formally being ordered deported.
Border versus Interior. The category "border" indicates ICE records that the individual was apprehended by the Border Patrol (including at interior traffic and transportation points) or by a CBP inspection officer at a land, sea or airport when coming to the U.S. The category "interior" includes all other apprehension sources.
Immigration Violation Deportation Based. The formal legal grounds on which the deportation was based under immigration statutes. There are a myriad of rules subjecting a person to deportation. These include simply being present in the country without valid documents, entry without inspection, controlled substance violations, willful misrepresentation of material facts, conviction of crimes involving moral turpitude, and many others. Sometimes the lengthy ICE text label describing these can extend beyond the width of a table and is shortened with ellipses (…). A list with the full ICE text label is found here.
Apprehension Method/Agency. Composite developed by TRAC from ICE records identifies when apprehension was part of its Criminal Alien Program (CAP) in cooperation with federal, state or local law enforcement agencies (these categories only available from FY 2013 on), involved its cooperative relationship with local law enforcement agencies under ICE's 287(g) program, or was an apprehension by the Border Patrol versus by a CBP inspection officer at a port of entry.
Detainer Used. Indicates prior to the individual being deported whether ICE issued an I-247 form requesting federal, state, or local law enforcement agencies to turn the person over to ICE. Note that this dimension is not available prior to FY 2013.
Most Serious Criminal Conviction (MSCC). The recorded most serious offense the individual was convicted for. Offense categories utilize the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) coding system maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Where there are multiple convictions, ICE identified the most serious offense. Note that ICE has improved its methods for recording criminal convictions so that data for earlier years may be less comprehensive. Sometimes the lengthy ICE text label describing these can extend beyond the width of a table and is shortened with ellipses (…). A list with the full ICE text label is found here.
Seriousness Level of MSCC Conviction. ICE classifies National Crime Information Center (NCIC) offense codes into three seriousness levels. The most serious (Level 1) covers what ICE considers to be "aggravated felonies." Level 2 offenses cover other felonies, while Level 3 offenses are misdemeanors, including petty and other minor violations of the law. TRAC uses ICE's "business rules" to group recorded NCIC offense codes into these three seriousness levels.
Calendar Year of Latest Entry into U.S. The date ICE records as the most recent entry of the individual into the U.S. This information is not recorded by ICE for a significant number of individuals.
Status at Latest Entry into U.S. The category ICE records the individual was placed when they most recently entered the country. Includes, for example, whether the individual was a legal permanent resident, a non-immigrant, an immigrant, a visitor, was seeking asylum (includes refugees), entered under the visa waiver program, was a parolee, or was present without admission. This information is not recorded by ICE for a significant number of individuals.
Age Group. The recorded age of the individual at the time he or she was deported by ICE.
Citizenship. The recorded citizenship of the individual.
Gender. The recorded gender of the individual.
To access additional data using other TRAC immigration enforcement tools, go to this directory of data tools.