Trump’s Immigration Removals Now 10% Below Biden’s Record as Enforcement Struggles Mount
New data shows Trump deportations falling behind campaign promises, ICE removals fail to match previous administration’s pace
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Despite high-profile raids, military deployments, and a campaign promise of mass deportations, the Trump administration’s immigration removal numbers are now falling 10 percent below the daily pace set under President Biden, according to the latest federal data.
A new report by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) reveals that, even with additional resources and political pressure applied to federal immigration enforcement, Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) removals are declining rather than increasing — contradicting public claims of intensified enforcement.
The findings paint a sobering picture: a chaotic, underperforming system struggling to turn rhetoric into results, even as the administration continues to obscure many key details of its enforcement activities.
Daily removals lag, failing to reach Biden-era levels
ICE is required by law to publish semi-monthly cumulative removal figures, though these reports are now released without fanfare and without daily breakdowns. By analyzing these reports, TRAC determined that in the six weeks since Trump took office on January 20, 2025, ICE removals have averaged 661 per day — a sharp decline from the 742 per day achieved under Biden in FY 2024.
The numbers tell a clear story:
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From January 26 to February 8, Trump’s daily removals averaged 693, already below Biden’s pace.
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By February 9 to February 22, daily removals plunged to just 600 per day — a 19% drop from Biden’s record.
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The most recent data, from February 23 to March 8, showed a modest uptick to 691 per day, but still nearly 11% below Biden’s average.
In total, ICE has carried out 27,772 removals from January 26 to March 8 — 10.9% fewer, on a daily average basis, than under Biden’s last full year.
Arrest numbers volatile, enforcement appears unsustainable
While ICE book-ins — the number of noncitizens arrested and placed in ICE detention — initially spiked after Trump took office, that pace has proven impossible to sustain.
Arrests averaged 1,126 per day in late January as the administration sought to show quick action. But the numbers fell sharply in February and early March:
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February 1–8: 724 arrests/day
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February 9–22: 741 arrests/day
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March 1–8: just 718 arrests/day — 5.4% below Biden’s FY 2024 average.
Over the full monitoring period, Trump’s average arrest rate is slightly higher than Biden’s — 812 vs. 759 per day, or a 7% increase — but the erratic pattern suggests serious operational challenges.
“Trump’s removal record is growing worse with time rather than improving,” TRAC analysts wrote, noting that after an initial burst of activity, ICE is struggling to maintain momentum even with the help of additional personnel and active-duty military.
Secrecy surrounds ICE targeting practices
Perhaps most concerning, the Trump administration continues to withhold basic information about its immigration enforcement:
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ICE has stopped publicly posting daily arrest numbers on social media.
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It is not releasing detailed data on who is being targeted for removal.
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Many ICE removals appear to involve immigrants previously flagged by controversial programs like Alternatives to Detention — not the sweeping new arrests Trump has promised.
Publicized raids have focused on specific cases chosen for political messaging, leaving unanswered questions about how ICE is actually prioritizing its limited enforcement capacity.
Moreover, TRAC notes that Trump’s team has already set the stage for potential future crackdowns by invoking the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, revoking legal status for many with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and leveraging new legal tools to strip protections from tens of thousands of immigrants.
But as of now, those moves have not translated into higher deportation numbers — and the system shows clear signs of strain.
What’s next? Uncertainty and legal challenges loom
For all of Trump’s tough talk, the actual enforcement reality is far murkier. The latest data shows an immigration system beset by:
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Lower deportation rates than the previous administration.
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Volatile arrest patterns that ICE cannot sustain week after week.
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Opaque targeting criteria that make it impossible to verify administration claims.
“This is a very dangerous game,” said one former ICE official, speaking on background. “The administration is using the military and a lot of political theater, but the actual numbers aren’t matching the promises — and they’re risking serious operational burnout.”
Meanwhile, legal challenges are piling up. The revocation of TPS status and use of military personnel in deportation facilitation have both drawn scrutiny from federal courts and civil rights groups, raising the prospect that Trump’s strategy could face significant judicial pushback in the months ahead.
Bottom line
Despite unprecedented political pressure and significant resources, Trump’s ICE removal rate is currently lower than Biden’s record — and the system’s ability to sustain higher arrest and deportation levels remains in serious doubt.
As TRAC’s report concludes:
“Public persistence in documenting ICE’s actual enforcement efforts, backed by reliable numbers, remains of vital importance.”
In an immigration fight defined by headlines and spectacle, the hard data continues to tell a very different story.
