How many illegal immigrants were deported from the US in 2024?

1. What people are claiming and why the headline numbers diverge — a clear extraction of key claims

Multiple recent reports assert high removal totals for 2024, but they refer to different datasets and timeframes. One ICE report released in December 2024 explicitly states about 271,000 removals to roughly 190–200 countries for fiscal year 2024, presented as the highest ICE total since 2014 ^{[1] [2]}. DHS and CBP communications use broader language — “removals and returns” or “repatriations” — and report figures in the hundreds of thousands, with DHS/CBP statements citing totals near 678,000 to 700,000 repatriations through November/December 2024 depending on the reporting cutoff ^{[3] [4]}. The headline disagreement stems from scope: ICE removals under Title 8 vs. CBP expulsions, repatriations, and voluntary returns. ^{[1] [3] [4]}

2. The ICE figure: a focused enforcement count that’s easy to cite but narrow in scope

ICE’s year-end reporting for fiscal 2024 lists approximately 271,000 removals, emphasizes removals to nearly 200 countries, and frames the number as a decade-high for ICE operations ^{[1] [2]}. This figure covers removals executed by ICE under removal authority (Title 8) and includes charter flights and expanded travel to farther destinations. ICE also reports quarterly spikes — nearly 68,000 removals in Q3 FY2024 — which underscore the agency’s increasing operational tempo within that fiscal year ^[5]. ICE’s number is authoritative for ICE action but does not capture CBP expulsions, Title 42-era expulsions, or voluntary returns processed at ports of entry. ^{[2] [5]}

3. The DHS/CBP totals: a bigger umbrella that mixes returns, expulsions, and removals

DHS and CBP reporting aggregate a wider range of outcomes and therefore show much larger counts: CBP’s December update and DHS repatriation reporting in late 2024 place total repatriations and returns near 678,000–700,000 for much of calendar 2024, noting monthly averages and large volumes to non‑Mexico destinations ^{[3] [4]}. These totals include CBP encounters, repatriations at the border, deportation flights, and voluntary returns; they may exclude or overlap with ICE-only removals depending on the reporting methodology. Because the DHS/CBP totals are cross-cutting, they produce the higher headline numbers frequently cited in media and political statements. ^{[3] [4]}

4. Why methodology, timing, and legal labels materially change the answer

Different agencies publish statistics with different legal definitions, reporting lags, and exclusions: ICE posts removals under its enforcement authority and publishes quarterly with one-quarter lag and later corrections; CBP reports encounters, repatriations, and expulsions often on a separate schedule; and Title 42-era expulsions and voluntary returns further complicate tallies ^{[6] [5]}. Timing matters: many DHS counts reported through November or December 2024 capture most but not necessarily all fiscal- or calendar‑year activity, and some public summaries conflate “removed,” “repatriated,” and “returned.” The result is multiple defensible but non-identical numbers depending on the audience and analytical choice. ^{[6] [5]}

5. The bottom line — answering the user’s question directly and precisely

If your question seeks an ICE-only count for fiscal year 2024, the accurate and sourceable answer is about 271,000 ICE removals (fiscal 2024) as reported in December 2024 ^{[1] [2]}. If you ask how many people were repatriated or removed across DHS/CBP operations in 2024, aggregated DHS/CBP reporting places the figure closer to 678,000–700,000 through late 2024, depending on the cutoff used ^{[3] [4]}. Both numbers are correct within their definitions; the discrepancy reflects different agencies, legal authorities, and inclusion rules rather than an error. ^{[1] [4]}