Fact check: How many minors has ICE deported in 2025 compared to previous years?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available analyses, no specific data exists on the number of minors deported by ICE in 2025. The most recent official statistics only extend through December 31, 2024, with ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations Statistics indicating that data will be updated quarterly ^[1]. The Department of Homeland Security's Immigration Enforcement and Legal Processes Monthly Tables report is delayed while under review, with data only available up to December 2024 ^[2].

However, there are significant policy developments in 2025 that suggest potential changes in enforcement against minors:

• ICE issued a memo directing agency personnel to conduct a nationwide search for unaccompanied minors for deportation purposes ^[3]
• ICE may begin to target unaccompanied children, indicating a potential increase in enforcement actions against minors ^[4]
• ICE has been conducting high-profile arrests of immigrants, including a Bronx high school student ^[5]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The question lacks crucial context about recent policy shifts that could dramatically affect deportation numbers:

• USCIS reversed policy guidance regarding Special Immigrant Juveniles, removing automatic consideration of deferred action, which could increase the vulnerability of certain minors to deportation ^[6]
• ICE has quietly scaled back rules for courthouse raids, potentially escalating enforcement tactics that could affect minors and their families ^[5]
• The tracking system for unaccompanied alien children (UACs) after they are released to sponsors provides important context for understanding the population at risk ^[3]

Historical context is also missing: while specific 2025 data is unavailable, the Biden administration carried out 1.1 million deportations from fiscal year 2021 through February 2024, though this doesn't provide age-specific breakdowns ^[7].

Organizations and advocates who work with immigrant children, such as those mentioned by the Center for Immigration Law and Advocacy (CILA), would benefit from accurate data to prepare legal defenses and support services ^[4]. Conversely, immigration enforcement agencies may benefit from limited public access to real-time deportation statistics.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself contains an implicit assumption that 2025 deportation data for minors exists and is publicly available, when in fact no such data has been released according to all analyzed sources. This could mislead readers into believing that comprehensive 2025 statistics are accessible.

The framing also lacks acknowledgment of the significant policy changes occurring in 2025 that make direct year-over-year comparisons potentially misleading without proper context about enforcement priorities and legal frameworks.

Additionally, the question doesn't specify whether it's asking about unaccompanied minors specifically or all minors subject to deportation proceedings, which represents different populations with different legal protections and statistical tracking methods.