The Trump administration plans to deport 1 million illegal immigrants in the first year, the Washington Post has reported. Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem estimates that 21 million people are in the country illegally.
“That’s their goal,” a Washington Post source said. “They say it jokingly: ‘We’ve got to get a million removals.”
Despite various legal challenges by pro-illegal immigration groups and Democrats enabled by activist judges, the administration has removed over 100,000 people who entered the country illegally. Former president Barack Obama holds the record for deporting the highest number (400,000) of illegals in 1 year.
However, according to a former official, Trump intends to ramp up deportations and has hatched up an ingenious strategy to make that happen. His officials are reportedly negotiating with several “Safe Third Countries” to serve as landing ports for illegal immigrants from countries such as China that still refuse to accept their citizens.
“The administration is negotiating with as many as 30 countries to take deportees who are not their citizens,” the source spilled.
Besides El Salvador, which has dominated news headlines, scores of illegal immigrants have already been deported to third countries, including Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, and even Rwanda. Guatemala has also signed an agreement to accept illegal immigrants from other countries.
“Officials have already begun deporting people to countries where they are not citizens, including Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama. At least one immigrant was sent to Rwanda this month, though that was after extensive negotiations between his lawyers and the Biden administration.”
Other strategies the Trump administration employed include visa and Social Security Number cancellations and requiring illegal immigrants to register in a federal database. On April 10, federal judge Trevor N. McFadden of the US District Court for the District of Columbia allowed the administration’s request requiring all illegal immigrants above 14 years to register in a mandatory database.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration also ordered immigrants who registered under the Biden administration’s special parole program via CBP One to self deport.
Those who comply can carry their property, choose a time and place to leave, be able to return legally, and qualify for subsidized flights. Those who fail could lose their property, spend time in prison, be forcefully removed, and be banned from ever returning legally.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin also said the administration will reinstate the $998 daily fine for illegal immigrants who fail to self-deport after the self-deportation order.
“If they don’t, they will face the consequences. This includes a fine of $998 per day for every day that the illegal alien overstayed their final deportation order.”
Those who submit an intent to self-deport but continue to stay in the country will also be slapped with a fine between $1,000 and $5,000.
Although the number remains unknown, many illegal immigrants are already leaving the country voluntarily. DHS reported that 5,000 undocumented individuals self-deported via the CBP Home app in March 2025. Others are also quietly leaving amid heightened pressure, potential arrests, and possible deportation to third countries.
Trump is also pushing Congress to act on illegal immigration by funding more deportations, arrests, and detentions. A Congress-backed deportation order could help the administration avoid hostile court orders from liberal judges.
Recently, Obama-appointed U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani of the District of Massachusetts blocked the Trump administration from ending the Special Protected Status of over 500,000 Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan immigrants.
Though ambitious and undoubtedly arduous amid growing legal challenges, the administration could succeed in deporting 1 million illegal aliens as some of the lawsuits are cleared and new strategies take effect.
There are 50 million here…