Over 500,000 illegal aliens have already been deported since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January — and if the numbers keep climbing at this pace, his administration could break every deportation record on the books.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Trump’s team is pushing hard to clean up what officials say was four years of chaos and open borders. In total, more than 2 million illegal immigrants have left the U.S. this year — some by force, many by choice.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin says they’re not letting up. She told Fox News Digital the administration is “on pace to shatter historic records,” aiming to deport 600,000 by the end of the year. And that’s not including the 1.6 million who’ve already voluntarily packed their bags and left.
Trump is “on pace to shatter historic records” by deporting 600,000 illegals by the end of his first year back in office. In total, more than two million illegal aliens have left the U.S., including 1.6 million who voluntarily self-deported. GOOD RIDDANCE! https://t.co/HTSuqhjNyJ
— Michael (@NewsTalkPD) October 21, 2025
She called it a “reawakening” of DHS — saying the agency, along with ICE, CBP, and even the U.S. Coast Guard, has been revived after being “vilified and barred from doing its job for the last four years.”
So, why are people leaving in such high numbers?
McLaughlin says the message is loud and clear: “Leave now or face the consequence.”
And it seems migrants are listening. DHS claims there’s been a 99.99% drop in illegal crossings through Panama’s Darien Gap, a key route for migrants trying to reach the southern U.S. border. If accurate, that’s one of the most dramatic drops in recent memory — and one the administration says is no coincidence.
But while many are leaving on their own, hundreds of thousands aren’t waiting for an invitation.
DHS confirmed over 485,000 illegal aliens have been arrested since January. And just this past weekend — even with the federal government technically shut down — ICE officers continued their nationwide crackdown, targeting what they call the “worst of the worst.”
Some of the arrests are disturbing to read.
One man, Erick Xavier Romero, a Dominican national, was convicted of raping a child in Boston. Another, German Osvaldo Cortez-Chajon from Guatemala, had been convicted of traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act in Alabama. Then there’s Graciano Lopez-Flores, a Mexican national convicted of indecent liberties with a child in North Carolina.
And it doesn’t stop there.
In Wake County, NC, ICE arrested Shahed Hassan, an illegal immigrant from Bangladesh, who racked up convictions for assault, drug possession, weapons violations, and more.
In Virginia, Van Pham, a Laotian national, was picked up for five counts of abduction and burglary.
In Massachusetts, Patricia Pimental-Cordero, another Dominican national, had been convicted in a hit-and-run. ICE also arrested Ramona Mercado-Vasquez, from Dominica, after a kidnapping and robbery conviction in New Jersey.
And in Wisconsin, Karlett Zagal-Salazar, a Mexican national, was taken into custody for drug trafficking.
Each case paints the same picture: criminals who slipped into the country illegally, committed serious crimes, and now — finally — are being removed.
McLaughlin didn’t mince words. She called the weekend sweep proof that “nothing — not even a government shutdown — will slow us down from making America safe again.”
She also took a direct shot at Democrats, saying, “While Democrats in Congress continue to keep the government shutdown, our ICE law enforcement officers aren’t slowing down in arresting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.”
The debate over immigration isn’t going anywhere — but this time, the numbers are doing a lot of the talking.
Breaking: The Trump administration has deported over 500,000 illegal aliens and is on pace to shatter deportation record by end of first year.
Raise your hand
, if you stand with President Donald Trump @POTUS and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem @Sec_Noem to Make America Safe Again! pic.twitter.com/L9owbtxX4M
— PatriotWayne (@Patriot_MAGA01) October 21, 2025
, if you stand with President Donald Trump Whether you’re a supporter of tougher enforcement or still on the fence, one thing is clear: this administration isn’t waiting for permission.
And for those living in cities where these arrests are happening — it’s hard not to wonder… Who’s next?
