UNITED STATES · DEPORTATIONS
Key Facts
- The country The United States is the main destination for Latin American migrants, and its deportation flights land mostly in Mexico, Central America and the Andes.
- The count The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) analysed Department of Homeland Security data, so it is an MPI count, not a DHS report.
- What happened About 980,000 deportations took place between 20 January 2025 and 31 July 2026, and 580,000 of them were formal removals.
- The pace The financial year 2026 pace points to about 660,000 deportations, which is 26% above the average of financial years 2021 to 2024.
- The mix About 69% began with a border stop, and interior arrests rose from 28% of deportations in 2025 to 39% by July 2026.
- Latin America Honduras logged 36,658 returnees by 30 September 2026, and about nine in ten came from the United States.
- Power Index Argentina ranks 4th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 61.2 points (October 2026 edition).
US deportations reached about 980,000 by 31 July 2026, a Migration Policy Institute (MPI) analysis found, Argentina’s daily La Nación reported on 22 October. The MPI, a Washington think tank, used Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data from freedom-of-information requests, so this is not a DHS report.
For US readers, the total shows how far the second Trump term has pushed mass removals, even with border crossings at historic lows. For Latin America, US deportations mean a steady stream of returnees landing in Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and beyond.
What the 980,000 Figure Covers
The MPI, a Washington think tank, ran the analysis on DHS records covering the first 18 months of Trump’s second term. The numbers are the institute’s reading of those records, not a DHS publication.
The 980,000 counts formal removals plus other forced returns, so it is not the number of people under a formal removal order. Formal removals alone came to 580,000, or about 380,000 a year, which leaves roughly 400,000 other returns.
That yearly average is below the record of 432,000 set in financial year 2013 under President Barack Obama. The current pace of US deportations is higher, because the financial year 2026 rate points to about 660,000.
A Faster Pace Than Biden or Trump’s First Term
MPI says the annualised pace for financial year 2026 is 26% above the average of financial years 2021 to 2024, which spanned the Biden administration. It also tops Trump’s first term but stays below the levels of the early 2000s.
The rise in US deportations comes even though border encounters, the count of people stopped trying to cross, sit at historic lows. Enforcement has therefore moved inland, where agents find people who have lived in the country for years.
La Nación reports that many of those deported had lived in the United States for a long time and had no criminal convictions. The analysis does not name the nationalities in the figures that La Nación cites.
From the Border to the Interior
About 69% of US deportations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) involved people first stopped at the border. The other 31% came from arrests elsewhere in the country.
Interior arrests made up 28% of deportations in 2025 and 39% by July 2026. Monthly deportations from interior arrests averaged about 8,000 in the first three months and about 19,000 from May to July 2026.
That shift matters for families, because interior arrests reach people with jobs, homes and children rooted in US communities. It also explains why deportation numbers keep climbing while crossings stay low.
What Lands in Latin America
Honduras recorded 36,658 returnees from 1 January to 30 September 2026, and 32,851 came from the United States, El Heraldo reported. That total already equals 85.4% of the 42,928 returns of all 2025.
Guatemala’s migration institute counted 47,306 Guatemalans returned from the United States and Mexico between 1 January and 6 September, La Tribuna reported. A related report on Honduran deportees and a US warning tracks the later count.
Guatemala also handled 2,848 Mexicans deported by the United States by 8 September, the same report said. It passed them on to Mexico.
What It Means for US Readers
If you follow US politics, the 980,000 figure puts a hard number on a promise from the 2024 campaign. Supporters say US deportations show enforcement working, while critics point to long-settled residents with no convictions.
If you employ workers, invest in Latin America or send money home, the effects are practical. Fewer workers can strain labour supply, and returnees add pressure on economies that rely on remittances, the money migrants send home.
What Is Not Known
La Nación does not break the 980,000 down by nationality, so the number of Mexicans, Central Americans or Venezuelans is unclear. It is also unclear how many Latin Americans were among those returned rather than formally removed.
It is not known how many of those deported had lived in the United States for more than a decade. The analysis stops at 31 July 2026, so the August and September totals are still to come.
More: Argentina news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people has the US deported under Trump’s second term?
An analysis by the Migration Policy Institute counts about 980,000 deportations from 20 January 2025 to 31 July 2026. Formal removals alone came to 580,000, and the rest were other forced returns.
Is this a record for US deportations?
Not on the yearly average, which La Nación puts at about 380,000 removals against a record of 432,000 in financial year 2013. The financial year 2026 pace of about 660,000 is higher than that earlier record.
Who carried out the deportations?
ICE and CBP carried them out, and about 69% involved people first stopped at the border. Interior arrests made up 39% of deportations by July 2026.
How many people has Honduras received back this year?
Honduras recorded 36,658 returnees from 1 January to 30 September 2026, according to its National Migration Institute. About 32,851 of them came from the United States.
Where does the data come from?
The analysis uses Department of Homeland Security data that the Migration Policy Institute obtained through freedom-of-information requests. It is an MPI analysis, not a DHS report, and La Nación reported it on 22 October 2026.
Sources: La Nación, 22 October 2026; El Heraldo (Honduras), 4 October 2026; La Tribuna (Honduras), 8 September 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief