US deported most number of Indians in 2019 under Trump

Over the past 15 years (till February 5, 2025), the US has deported over 15,000 Indian migrants, with the highest in the year 2019 (2,042). The year-wise data is shown in the chart below.

Number of Indians deported from the US between 2009-February 2025

2019 was also the year the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported the most number of illegal migrants overall under the Trump administration.

Overall, Biden deported more migrants than Trump

Interestingly, ICE recorded the highest annual tally of overall deportations in the fiscal year 2024 (October 2023-September 2024) under the Joe Biden administration. It deported 2,71,484 to 192 countries, higher than the 2019 tally of 2,67,258.

ICE’s highest deportation count stands at 3,15,943 under Barack Obama’s second term in 2014.

According to the enforcement agency, the rise in deportations in FY24 can be attributed to successful negotiations with receiving countries, allowing them to increase the number of deportation flights, and expand the operations to the weekends. ICE stated that it also sent its first large charter flight to China in six years in FY24.

According to the New York Times, the increase in deportations under the Biden administration was also due to the increased inflow of illegal migrants since he took office.

Data provided by the Office of Homeland Security Statistics shows that the most number of deportations under the Biden administration were under Title 42, which allowed authorities to expel certain migrants in the interest of public health. Title 42 came into force under the Trump administration in 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Biden continued the practice till May 2023, when the public health emergency was lifted.

This year, Trump vowed mass deportation of “illegal aliens”, whom he often touts as “criminals”. As a symbol of his tough anti-immigrant stance, the Trump administration has been sending deportees in military planes, handcuffed and chained.