0:31A member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Response Team exhibits a unit insignia on their attire during a demonstration at ICE headquarters in Portland, Oregon on Oct. 4, 2025.Carlos Barria/Reuters
The Department of Homeland Security communicated that 1.6 million individuals present in the United States unlawfully have voluntarily departed, and an additional 500,000 have been removed.
The department has been encouraging voluntary departures, allocating millions on advertisements highlighting a $1,000 payment and an airline ticket provided to individuals who register to depart voluntarily.
The total amount of funds provided to people who have departed voluntarily remains ambiguous.
Tricia McLaughlin, DHS' assistant secretary for public affairs, expressed that the Trump administration is poised to "shatter" existing removal records.
"President Trump and Secretary Noem have revitalized a department that was hindered and prohibited from executing its duties for the preceding four years," she conveyed in a statement.
A member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Response Team exhibits a unit insignia on their attire during a demonstration at ICE headquarters in Portland, Oregon on Oct. 4, 2025.Carlos Barria/Reuters
"Despite a record number of injunctions from activist judges and menaces to law enforcement, DHS, ICE, and CBP have not only secured the border, but have also made unprecedented advancements in fulfilling President Trump’s pledge of apprehending and removing undocumented immigrants who have infiltrated our nation," McLaughlin stated.
"Undocumented immigrants are heeding our message to depart immediately or confront the ramifications: Migrants are now retreating before even reaching our borders. Migration through Panama’s Darien Gap has decreased by 99.99%," she asserted.
President Donald Trump vowed to conduct extensive removals during his 2024 campaign.
Advocates have alleged that immigration enforcement has become excessive.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
