How many non‑citizen veterans are currently in ICE removal proceedings and what sources track them?

1. The only firm government benchmark—and why it’s incomplete

The Government Accountability Office report "Immigration Enforcement: Actions Needed to Better Handle, Identify, and Track Cases Involving Veterans" documented that ICE identified at least 250 non‑citizen veterans placed in removal proceedings and 92 deported between FY2013 and FY2018, but the GAO explicitly warned ICE lacks reliable systems to identify and track veteran cases and does not maintain complete electronic data on encounters with veterans ^{[1] [2]}.

2. Why no current headcount exists: ICE’s data gaps and GAO’s warning

GAO’s central finding is that ICE "did not consistently follow" policies intended to flag veterans and that the agency “does not know how many veterans have been placed in removal proceedings or removed” because it does not collect and maintain complete data — a gap that directly prevents producing an up‑to‑date aggregate number of veterans currently in proceedings ^[1].

3. Who tracks this issue and the limits of those trackers

The principal, verifiable trackers are: the GAO report (which provides retrospective, partial counts) ^[1]; advocacy research from groups such as the American Immigration Council, which summarizes GAO findings and highlights the gaps ^[3]; congressional inquiries and press releases seeking briefings and breakdowns from DHS and VA (Representative Ansari’s request is an example) ^[5]; and investigative and trade reporting (Military Times, Military.com, Newsweek) that documents individual cases but cannot compile a complete national metric because of ICE’s data shortfalls ^{[4] [6] [7]}.

4. Media reports and NGOs: powerful anecdote, weak aggregate evidence

Numerous outlets have profiled individual veterans detained or deported and NGOs have raised alarm over rising enforcement targeting veterans; these reports establish patterns and political pressure but do not provide a validated current count because they rely on case files, local court records and advocacy networks rather than a comprehensive federal dataset ^{[6] [7] [4] [8]}.

5. Legislative and bureaucratic fixes proposed that would improve tracking

Recent legislation like the Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2025 would require the Attorney General and ICE to identify veterans at risk, seek supervisory approval before initiating certain proceedings, and reopen cases for review—measures intended to create the kind of tracking and oversight GAO said is missing ^[9]. If enacted and implemented, such rules would produce more authoritative counts in future reporting ^[9].

6. Conflicting claims and the political context to be aware of

Some advocacy organizations and local reports have produced higher historical estimates or dire characterizations—claims ranging from tens of thousands deported since the 1990s to claims of mass deportations in short windows—but these figures are either extrapolated from incomplete records or reflect differing methodologies and should not be treated as an official, current tally without corroboration from federal data ^{[10] [11]}. Meanwhile, congressional letters and media exposés show lawmakers and veterans’ advocates demanding answers, signaling political pressure rather than definitive statistics ^{[5] [12]}.

Conclusion: the verifiable status today

There is no authoritative public count of how many non‑citizen veterans are currently in ICE removal proceedings; the best government‑validated baseline remains the GAO’s finding of at least 250 veterans placed in removal proceedings during FY2013–FY2018, and the tracking responsibility lies with ICE and DHS—agencies GAO found do not have complete electronic data—while advocacy groups, Congress and the press continue to push for better identification, oversight and public reporting ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}.