Headline Roundup • May 14th, 2026
Record Number of 'Voluntary Departures' from Immigrants Under Trump
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Immigration court cases ending in a "voluntary departure" decision are at a record high under the Trump administration, a new report based on federal data found.
The Details: The Vera Institute of Justice found that 80,000 voluntary departures were issued between January 2025 and March 2026, up from the 11,400 issued during the last 15 months under the Biden administration. A researcher from the Vera Institute said that voluntary departures are rising along with removal orders, not instead of them, "and so the piece of the pie that's shrinking is the number of people who are allowed to remain in the United States." The rate of voluntary departures is highest among immigrants being held in immigrant detention centers.
For Context: Voluntary departures in immigration court are formal requests to depart the country that are then approved by a judge. They differ from self-deportations, which is when immigrants inform the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that they are leaving the country in order to avoid potential detention or removal.
How the Media Covered It: Straight Arrow News (Center bias) noted that some immigration attorneys believe the surge "reflects coercion rather than voluntary choice" and included quotes from a Ukrainian immigrant who was being held at a Texas detention center. He said he abandoned his asylum claim because "Nobody gets asylum here in Texas. Nobody." Both ABC News (Lean Left) and The National News Desk (Right) included quotes from an author of the report, who said, "Many of those people may have legal avenues to remain in the United States. Voluntary departure decisions do not mean that you do not have legal rights to remain. People are under harsh conditions and making very difficult decisions." Both outlets also noted that new judges appointed under the Trump administration have granted more voluntary departures than more experienced judges.
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Featured Coverage of this Story
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.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Immigrants are giving up their claims in immigration court and opting to voluntarily leave the U.S. in exponentially higher numbers under the current Trump administration's immigration crackdown than at any time previously, according to a new report based on federal data.
The report by the Vera Institute of Justice shows that the number of people in removal proceedings receiving "voluntary departure" decisions has risen dramatically -- particularly among those held in federal detention.
Immigration cases ending in voluntary departure have hit a record high under the Trump administration, according to a report based on federal data.
The Vera Institute of Justice report released Friday shows that the number of people in removal proceedings receiving "voluntary departure" court decisions has significantly increased, particularly among those held in federal detention, ABC News reported.
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