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How many illegal immigrants has ICE reported as removals during fiscal year 202
Executive Summary
ICE’s publicly cited reports in the provided materials do not include a definitive, single-line figure for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 removals; the available summaries report FY 2023 and FY 2024 totals but point users to the ICE ERO removals and returns tables to retrieve FY 2022 specifics [1] [2] [3]. Multiple summaries show steep year-to-year changes and occasional reporting discrepancies, underscoring that the authoritative FY 2022 count must be read directly from ICE’s ERO removals dataset rather than inferred from later annual summaries [3] [4].
1. Why the direct FY2022 number is missing from these summaries — and where ICE keeps the authoritative data
None of the provided summary documents quote a single consolidated figure for FY 2022 removals; instead, the materials direct readers to ICE’s tabular ERO removals and returns datasets for detailed year-by-year counts by citizenship and criminality. The ICE monthly and annual reports usually separate removals by final orders and returns by other administrative mechanisms, and the ERO “Removals and Returns by Citizenship, Criminality, and Initial Arresting Agency” table is the granular resource that lists FY-specific totals and breakdowns [3]. Because the dataset is the tabular repository that ICE updates and archives, it is the authoritative source for FY 2022 counts; summaries or news reporting that cite FY totals are secondary and sometimes omit or aggregate FY 2022, so researchers should extract FY 2022 from the ERO tables to avoid misinterpretation [3].
2. What the provided summaries do report — a snapshot of FY 2023 and FY 2024 for context
The materials include clear totals for the years immediately after FY 2022: ICE reported 142,580 removals in FY 2023 and 271,484 removals in FY 2024 in its ERO annual summaries and related reporting [1] [2]. These figures illustrate a sharp year-to-year change; FY 2024’s total is described as the largest since 2014, with a substantial share involving noncitizens with criminal charges or convictions [5] [6] and several hundred designated as known or suspected terrorists in ICE’s framing [2] [7]. The presence of these explicit FY 2023 and FY 2024 numbers in the materials demonstrates that the analysts were able to locate and cite certain annual totals, but the absence of an FY 2022 figure in those same summaries highlights the need to consult the underlying ERO tables for that specific year [1] [2].
3. Why reporting discrepancies arise — different releases, late updates, and definition issues
One provided analysis flags discrepancies in ICE releases, noting that a late July release reported far higher totals than a late June release for a given reporting period, illustrating how ICE updates or corrects figures over time and how different public releases can yield divergent numbers [4]. Removals data can vary depending on whether counts represent ERO removals with final orders, returns, or other administrative actions, and whether the dataset is preliminary or finalized. This procedural reality explains why secondary sources sometimes cite different totals and why a single authoritative retrieval date from the ERO tables is essential for consistent historical comparison [8] [4].
4. How to obtain the FY2022 removals number and verify it across sources
Researchers seeking the exact FY 2022 removals should download or query the ICE “ERO Removals and Returns by Citizenship, Criminality, and Initial Arresting Agency” table within the Immigration Enforcement and Legal Processes monthly tables dataset; that is the dataset referenced in the materials as containing year-by-year counts [3]. Once extracted, cross-check the FY 2022 total against ICE’s archived monthly enforcement tables and the ERO annual report appendices; doing so confirms whether the figure is a removal (final order) or a return, and reconciles any differences noted in press summaries or late-release corrections [3] [4]. This step is necessary because the provided summaries do not present the FY 2022 number directly.
5. What the broader record shows about trends and why precise FY 2022 context matters
The supplied sources indicate a larger narrative: removals fell into the 100–150k range in FY 2023 and then rose sharply in FY 2024 to above 270k, showing significant year-to-year volatility in enforcement totals [1] [2]. If FY 2022 is used as a baseline for trend analysis or policy debate, analysts must ensure the FY 2022 figure comes from ICE’s official ERO dataset rather than being inferred from subsequent years’ fluctuations or media summaries, because small definitional differences (final order vs. return) and late data corrections materially affect interpretations of enforcement intensity and policy impact [4] [3].
6. Bottom line for the question asked: the most defensible answer and next steps
Based on the provided materials, there is no directly cited, definitive FY 2022 removals total; instead, the ERO removals dataset is identified as the authoritative source for that exact figure [3]. To produce a verifiable FY 2022 number, retrieve the FY 2022 row from ICE’s “ERO Removals and Returns” table and reference it alongside ICE’s annual reports to confirm whether the count reflects removals with final orders or other categories. The documents supplied here substantiate FY 2023 and FY 2024 totals but require that final FY 2022 verification come from the ERO tables themselves [1] [2] [3].