Noem Reports 1.6M Drop in Unauthorized Immigrant Population

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced Thursday that 1.6 million unauthorized immigrants in the US have now been deported or left the country since the start of the Trump administration. 

The Details: The data is based on a report from the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), which said their own estimate may be overstated. The nonprofit used data from the government’s Current Population Survey (CPS) to estimate that the US unauthorized immigrant population declined from 15.8 million in January to 14.2 million in July. Noem said the numbers indicate progress toward safer streets, reduced strain on public services, and improved opportunities for American workers.

For Context: The CPS survey does not ask respondents about their immigration status, only their birthplace and citizenship status. Previous estimates of unauthorized immigrants in the US was around 11 million in 2022. 

How the Media Covered It: Outlets on the right highlighted the number as fact, framing it as the Trump administration achieving its mission to address illegal immigration in the US. Fox News (Right bias) interviewed Noem who said the numbers “show the genius of Donald J Trump." She celebrated his tough messaging on illegal immigration, and said "2.5 million Americans" now have the opportunity to be employed. Outlets on the left highlighted caution from the CIS and other immigration groups who emphasized the number might be inaccurate. The Independent (Lean Left) highlighted other Trump admin efforts to increase deportations, including encouraging self-deportations and recent ICE raids. Newsweek (Center) and The Hill (Center) also highlighted that the number may be inaccurate due to less authorized immigrants responding to surveys.

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Editor's note: We included clarification that the 1.6 million number includes both deporations and self-deportations from unauthorized immigrants.