Voluntary departure orders from immigration judges up by 600%+

Between January 2025 and March 2026, immigration judges issued more than 80,000 voluntary departure orders, according to the Vera Institute of Justice. That's a more than 600% increase from the 11,400 issued during the final 15 months of the Biden administration.

Acting Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons issued a memo in July 2025 ending bond hearings for immigrants who entered illegally, contributing to conditions where more than 70% of those granted voluntary departure were in immigration detention when they requested to leave.