Trump administration deports 980,000 but misses its one million-a-year target

Migration Policy Institute finds removals at an 18-month record, yet short of the president's campaign promise

By LineZotpaper

Published22 October 2026

Updated22 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Sources2 outlets

The Trump administration has removed 980,000 people in the first 18 months of its second term, according to a report from the Migration Policy Institute published Thursday, exceeding deportation totals under Joe Biden and Trump's first presidency but falling short of the president's pledge to deport one million people a year.

The report, released by the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute (MPI), says the administration is failing to meet its stated goal of deporting one million people per year and remains far from achieving "the largest deportation effort in U.S. history," a cornerstone promise of Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.

The 980,000 total over 18 months is more than the removals carried out during Biden's term and during Trump's first presidency, MPI found. However, it does not surpass the totals recorded under the Barack Obama administration or those of earlier presidents.

Immigration enforcement has been a defining issue of the administration's second term, with officials repeatedly emphasising record removal operations. The MPI figures offer an independent measure of that effort, suggesting that while deportations have risen sharply compared with recent years, they have not reached the levels the president promised on the campaign trail.

The report does not characterise removals under Obama in year-by-year terms, noting only that the cumulative total over Trump's first 18 months remains below the full totals achieved by that administration.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The one million-a-year deportation goal was a flagship promise of the 2024 campaign, so the shortfall speaks directly to whether the administration is delivering on its central agenda.
It comes as the political fight over immigration policy, enforcement budgets and border security remains one of the most charged issues in Washington.
Whether the pace can be sustained or accelerated over the rest of the term will shape both policy and political expectations.

Background

Deportation levels have long been a political yardstick in the United States, with each administration presenting its removal totals as evidence of its approach to immigration enforcement. The Obama administration's cumulative removals were widely cited as a benchmark in past debates. Trump's second-term team set an explicit annual target of one million, which officials framed as the largest removal operation in U.S. history. The MPI report is an independent check on that claim, comparing current performance with those earlier periods.

Key Perspectives

The Trump administration: It has presented its enforcement effort as unprecedented in scale and has pointed to the sharp rise in removals relative to the Biden years as proof that its policies are working. Migration Policy Institute: The report's authors note the 18-month total exceeds recent administrations' figures, but they conclude the administration has not met its own stated annual target and has not reached the levels of earlier presidents. Critics and skeptics: Opponents of the enforcement drive argue that mass removals carry economic, family and community costs, though the report itself focuses on the numerical gap between the promised and achieved totals.

What to Watch

Whether monthly removal rates accelerate to close the gap against the one million-a-year target.
How the administration responds to the MPI figures, including any revised metrics or explanations of the shortfall.
Further independent measures of enforcement activity, such as court data and reports from immigrant advocacy groups.

Sources

Deportations climb under Trump but fall short of White House target, a new report finds · Philadelphia Inquirer
Trump administration fails to meet its goal of deporting one million people per year · El País English

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 4 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedThe Trump administration deported 980,000 people but missed its goal of one million deportations per year.El País English: “In the first 18 months of his second term it has deported 980,000 people, according to a report published Thursday by the Migration Policy Institute (MPI).”
Not in the sourcesMPI found that removals were at an 18-month record.
SupportedThe administration deported 980,000 people in the first 18 months of its second term, according to an MPI report published Thursday.El País English: “In the first 18 months of his second term it has deported 980,000 people, according to a report published Thursday by the Migration Policy Institute (MPI).”
SupportedThe 980,000 total exceeded removals under Joe Biden and Trump’s first presidency.El País English: “That figure exceeds the removals carried out during Joe Biden’s term and during Trump’s first presidency”
Partly supportedThe one-million-per-year target was the president’s campaign pledge.El País English: “The Donald Trump administration is failing to meet its goal of deporting one million people a year and remains far from achieving the largest deportation effort in U.S. history, a cornerstone promise of the Republican’s 2024 presidential campaign.”
Partly supportedThe report says the administration remains far from achieving “the largest deportation effort in U.S. history.”El País English: “The Donald Trump administration is failing to meet its goal of deporting one million people a year and remains far from achieving the largest deportation effort in U.S. history, a cornerstone promise of the Republican’s 2024 presidential campaign.”
Not in the sourcesThe Migration Policy Institute is nonpartisan.El País English
SupportedThe total did not surpass removals recorded under Obama or earlier presidents.El País English: “That figure exceeds the removals carried out during Joe Biden’s term and during Trump’s first presidency, but so far it does not surpass the totals recorded under the Barack Obama administration or those of other earlier presidents.”
Not in the sourcesImmigration enforcement has been a defining issue of the administration’s second term.
Not in the sourcesOfficials have repeatedly emphasised record removal operations.
Not in the sourcesThe MPI figures offer an independent measure of the administration’s effort.
Not in the sourcesThe report does not characterize Obama removals year by year.