Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
How does DHS/ICE publish 2025 removal statistics and where to find the raw data?
Executive Summary
The Department of Homeland Security and ICE publish 2025 removal and enforcement statistics through recurring DHS products and ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations dashboards, but the data is released with systematic delays, exclusions, and periodic revisions; raw files are available for download in Excel formats though some filters and small-cell records are omitted for privacy [1] [2]. Researchers and journalists must therefore use a mix of DHS monthly tables, ICE quarterly dashboards, and independent repositories that aggregate FOIA- produced data to reconstruct the most complete 2025 removal picture, while accounting for a one-quarter lag, ongoing review delays, and record exclusions [1] [2].
1. How the Government Actually Publishes the Numbers — What to Expect from DHS and ICE
DHS issues removal and enforcement figures through the Immigration Enforcement and Legal Processes Monthly Tables and the Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, while ICE publishes Enforcement and Removal Operations dashboards and downloadable spreadsheets; these releases follow set cadences but include lag times and locking procedures [1] [3]. The monthly tables are updated nominally on the third Thursday with roughly a 45-day lag after the reporting period, and ICE posts quarterly enforcement dashboards published one quarter in arrears, meaning data labeled for a given quarter typically reflects operations completed in the prior quarter [1] [2]. Both DHS and ICE note that data are provisional until year-end “locks” permit corrections, so counts for 2025 may change in subsequent releases [1].
2. Where the Raw Files Live — Direct Download Paths and Limits
ICE provides underlying data for its dashboards as downloadable Excel spreadsheets and DHS posts monthly tables with xlsx datasets, enabling direct access to line-level or table data; you can export an “underlying ICE data” Excel file from the ERO dashboards and get DHS monthly xlsx files [2] [1]. Important practical limits apply: Excel downloads do not preserve interactive dashboard filters, the public extracts often suppress cells with fewer than 10 individuals for privacy, and ICE cautions that some operational categories (e.g., Title 42 expulsions) are published via CBP instead of ICE dashboards [2] [4]. Analysts must therefore download raw spreadsheets and reconstruct filters programmatically while acknowledging suppressed small‑cell omissions.
3. Timing and Revisions — Why 2025 Totals Can Shift After Publication
Both DHS monthly tables and ICE quarterly series are subject to post-publication revisions because operational inputs feed the OHSS Persist Dataset, which DHS calls its statistical system of record, and counts are “locked” only at fiscal-year close; interim releases will therefore reflect corrections and supersessions over time [1]. The monthly tables were noted as delayed and under review in early 2025, with the most recent public snapshot covering January 2025 in that review window, demonstrating how administrative review cycles can pause renewals [1]. Users should treat mid-year 2025 removal metrics as provisional and check subsequent monthly or yearbook tables for revised totals.
4. Independent and FOIA‑Derived Sources — Filling Gaps and Cross‑Checking
Independent projects and FOIA responses provide deeper or alternative raw files, including cleaned and original versions that cover ICE enforcement actions through mid-2025; repositories like the Deportation Data Project and Vera’s detention datasets supply daily and historical records that supplement official tables [5] [4]. These external datasets can capture distinctions ICE’s public dashboards don’t (daily populations, facility-level detail), but they are not official DHS releases and may differ from DHS/ICE figures due to cleaning, reconstructions, or different inclusion rules [4] [5]. Use independent data to cross-check trends, but always reconcile methodological differences against DHS/ICE metadata.
5. Practical Steps for Researchers Who Need 2025 Removal Raw Data Today
To assemble a defensible 2025 removals dataset, download the DHS monthly xlsx files and ICE ERO underlying data Excel exports, then supplement with FOIA-derived repositories for finer granularity [1] [5]. Reconstruct applied filters in your workflow, document suppressed small‑cell exclusions, and track publication dates because DHS/ICE may revise tables; where expulsions or Title 42 actions are relevant, pull CBP datasets too. Maintain a revision log noting which DHS or ICE release (by date) you used and compare later releases for superseding changes, since DHS explicitly states future reports may correct earlier figures [1] [2].