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Are there demographic breakdowns (country of origin, age, legal status) for voluntary departures since 2025?
Executive summary
Available reporting shows recent spikes in “voluntary departures” recorded by U.S. authorities in 2025 — for example, federal figures cited by Stateline show 6,118 voluntary departures granted between Jan. 20 and July 29, 2025, up from 2,550 for the same period in the prior year [1]. However, the sources in your search set do not provide a comprehensive demographic breakdown (country of origin, age, legal status) for those voluntary departures; reporting instead gives totals, trends, and related commentary [1] [2] [3].
1. What the data we have actually shows: totals and trends
Journalists and watchdogs have obtained federal counts that point to a sharp year‑over‑year rise in voluntary departures in early 2025: Stateline’s analysis of Deportation Data Project statistics reports 6,118 people granted voluntary departure from Jan. 20–July 29, 2025 — more than double the same period a year earlier [1]. Independent reporting based on FOIA data similarly highlights large deportation totals and rising confirmed voluntary departures month to month in 2025 [2]. Forecasters and analysts at Brookings and AEI, cited by NPR, also say more people are leaving the U.S. in 2025 either voluntarily or through removal [3].
2. What the sources do not provide: detailed demographic slices
None of the supplied U.S.-focused sources in your search results include a line‑by‑line demographic breakdown for voluntary departures in 2025 — that is, tables showing country of origin, age, or immigration/legal status for those granted voluntary departure. Stateline gives an aggregated count for a specific window in 2025 but does not publish a disaggregated demographic table in the excerpt provided [1]. The FOIA‑based reporting cited by DemState offers totals and monthly trends but the excerpts do not show demographic breakdowns [2]. Therefore, available sources do not mention a comprehensive demographic breakdown for U.S. voluntary departures in 2025.
3. Comparative context: other countries publish nationality data for voluntary returns
For comparison, national statistical offices sometimes publish disaggregated voluntary‑return data: the UK’s immigration statistics for the year ending June 2025 list voluntary returns by nationality (for example, Indians 7,617; Brazilians 4,810; Albanians 2,198) and explain categories like assisted, controlled, and other verified returns [4]. That demonstrates such breakdowns are feasible where the agency chooses to compile and publish them; the U.S. federal excerpts in your results do not show the same level of nationality/age/status granularity [4] [1].
4. Why demographic detail might be missing from U.S. reporting
Available U.S. reporting focuses on counts, trends and policy context rather than granular demographics, possibly because the raw administrative systems or public releases do not consistently compile or disclose nationality/age/status for voluntary departures in a readily published format. Mapping Deportations and historical summaries emphasize the scale and procedural nature of “voluntary” mechanisms over time but do not present 2025 demographic tables in the excerpts provided [5]. The absence of detailed public tables in these sources suggests either the data weren’t released publicly in that form or news outlets did not obtain a version with those fields — available sources do not mention an explanation beyond the published totals [5] [1].
5. Competing perspectives and hidden incentives in coverage
Reporting frames differ: Stateline situates higher voluntary departures amid pressure and court‑case incentives, noting voluntary departure allows release from detention and avoidance of formal removal orders [1]. Mapping Deportations highlights the long history and coercive dynamics of voluntary departure as an enforcement tool [5]. Pro‑policy or enforcement advocates may emphasize voluntary departures as expedient removals; rights groups and historians stress the coercion and long legacy of the practice. Those differing framings reflect implicit agendas — agencies citing administrative efficiency vs. advocates emphasizing civil‑liberties concerns [1] [5].
6. What to look for next and how to get the breakdown you asked for
To obtain the specific demographic variables you asked about (country of origin, age, legal status), check for: (a) a full ICE data release or FOIA dataset from the Deportation Data Project that includes those fields; (b) detailed tables in future ICE quarterly or annual releases; or (c) academic or NGO analyses that have obtained person‑level or line‑level data. Current reporting excerpts do not show those tables, so a records request or direct query to the Deportation Data Project / ICE is the next step — available sources do not provide that demographic table now [1] [2].
If you want, I can draft a FOIA request template aimed specifically at obtaining nationality, age, and legal‑status fields for voluntary departure records in 2025, or search for additional datasets beyond those you provided.