How many non‑citizen military veterans are currently in U.S. removal proceedings according to Congressional records?
Executive summary
Congressional records do not contain a single, up‑to‑date tally of how many non‑citizen military veterans are currently in U.S. removal proceedings; existing federal reports and bills show substantial concern and fragmented data — a 2019 federal review identified about 250 veterans placed in proceedings from 2013–2018, but lawmakers and advocates repeatedly warn DHS and ICE lack reliable, current tracking systems [1] [2] [3]. Recent Congressional measures seek to force consistent identification and reporting, which indicates no authoritative “current” number is available in the public Congressional record as of the sources provided [4] [5].
1. What the question actually asks and what the record can answer
The user asks for a specific, current headcount “according to Congressional records,” a demand that in practice requires DHS or Congress to have published a consolidated, current dataset; the materials provided show multiple Congressional bills and inquiries requesting such counts and demanding that DHS create tracking systems, precisely because they do not already exist in an authoritative, up‑to‑date form [5] [6] [7]. Existing Congressional products instead document gaps, propose remedies, and cite older federal audits — they do not present a single current number of non‑citizen veterans in removal proceedings [3] [4].
2. The closest thing to a number: the 2019 review and related snapshots
The most concrete federal figure appearing in these sources is from a 2019 review cited across reporting: at least 250 non‑citizen veterans were placed in removal proceedings during the 2013–2018 period, and 92 were deported in that interval, according to the GAO or related federal reporting referenced by news outlets and legal summaries [1] [2]. That retrospective snapshot is useful historical context but does not equate to a current, rolling count of veterans now in proceedings, and reporters and advocates note DHS had produced only limited, sporadic reports on veterans’ removals [2].
3. Why Congress is demanding better data
Members of Congress have repeatedly asked DHS and related agencies for precise breakdowns — requests that include how many non‑citizen service members and veterans have been arrested, detained, or placed in removal proceedings since specific dates — because current federal systems do not reliably flag or track military service across immigration records [6] [7] [5]. Bills such as the Veterans Visa and Protection Act and earlier proposals would require annotated immigration records, supervisory approvals before initiating proceedings against veterans, and DHS systems to identify veterans in proceedings — measures that implicitly acknowledge the absence of a validated Congressional figure today [4] [5].
4. What the agencies themselves and advocates say about the lack of data
DHS webpages and advocacy reporting show programs and resources aimed at veterans and acknowledge discretionary options and difficulties in practice, but they stop short of offering a comprehensive, current Congressional tally; advocates and press reporting underscore that ICE historically failed to consistently identify veterans and that few DHS reports specifically catalog veteran cases, leaving advocates and some members of Congress to press for answers [8] [2] [9]. The pattern across these sources is fragmentation: periodic counts, hearings, and letters rather than a single authoritative number in Congressional records [6] [7].
5. Direct answer
There is no single current number in the provided Congressional records showing how many non‑citizen military veterans are presently in U.S. removal proceedings; the best comparable federal figure cited in these materials is that at least 250 non‑citizen veterans were placed in removal proceedings between 2013 and 2018, a historical count that Congressional members and watchdogs cite when arguing for mandatory tracking and reporting reforms [1] [2] [5]. If a precise, up‑to‑date number exists within newer DHS filings to Congress, it is not included among the supplied sources; the pattern of legislation and oversight requests demonstrates Congress has not yet had reliable, consolidated data publicly available and is pursuing statutes and oversight to create it [4] [6].