How many illegals were allowed in during trumps first term
Executive summary
Available sources do not provide a single, definitive tally of how many people "were allowed in" during Donald Trump’s first term; reporting and government releases instead focus on enforcement actions (arrests, removals) and encounter or inadmissible counts rather than a plain total of admissions (not found in current reporting). Sources cite removals and detentions (for example, ICE removals of about 157,948 through May 3, 2025) and frequent claims by the White House about sharply reduced illegal crossings, but independent outlets warn those claims can be misleading without longer-term context [1] [2] [3].
1. What the key players measure — and why that matters
Government and advocacy reporting use different metrics: Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reports “encounters” and “inadmissible” people at ports of entry, ICE reports arrests and removals, and the White House highlights percent drops in “illegal border crossings” — none of which directly equals a net count of people “allowed in.” Brookings notes CBP tracks “inadmissible” and a subgroup called “likely entries” (people paroled or given notices to appear), which are not the same as legal admissions [4]. TRAC and Reuters emphasize arrests and removals as enforcement measures rather than entries [1] [2].
2. White House framing: historic lows and near-zero releases
The White House repeatedly states illegal crossings plummeted and that “virtually no illegal aliens” were released into the interior, presenting this as a measure of success [5] [6]. Those claims include sharp percentage drops in certain locations and headlines touting “historic lows” for unaccompanied minors and encounters at points like the Darién Gap [7] [5]. The White House also reports large removal and arrest figures as evidence of tightened control (for example, citing nearly 200,000 ICE deportations since January in one post, and other releases touting 158,000 arrests in specific 2025 periods) [7] [8].
3. Independent reporting: enforcement numbers rise, but totals are complex
Reuters and TRAC document increased arrests and enforcement activity under Trump, with Reuters noting ICE arrests more than doubled on some measures and TRAC pointing out the administration publicized arrest figures selectively while not always providing clear removal totals [2] [1]. TRAC also reports ICE’s cumulative removals for Oct 1, 2024–May 3, 2025, as 157,948 — a removals figure, not a count of admissions or net population change [1].
4. Fact-checkers and analysts caution about short-term snapshots
PBS’s fact-check flagged that although illegal immigration dropped in some month-to-month comparisons (e.g., Dec 2024 to Jan 2025), the White House’s use of short-term figures can be misleading and broader trends require longer time-series context; weather and other factors can affect crossings independent of policy [3]. Brookings similarly stresses surreptitious entries are hard to measure and that border flows ebb and flow regardless of administration, complicating claims that a specific policy “stopped” arrivals [4].
5. What “allowed in” could mean — and why sources don’t give a simple answer
If “allowed in” means lawful admissions (permanent residents, work visas, refugees), those are tracked separately by State, DHS and USCIS and are not the emphasis of the sources provided here; available sources do not list a total of lawful admissions during Trump’s first term (not found in current reporting). If it means people who crossed without inspection and were subsequently paroled, released, or given notices to appear, Brookings and CBP encounter categories touch on that complexity — but again, they do not present a single, simple aggregate in the materials provided [4].
6. Political claims vs. scrutiny — competing narratives
The White House and Trump allies frame reduced encounters and higher removals as proof the border was closed and illegal entries “stopped” [5] [6]. Independent outlets and watchdogs document escalated enforcement and removals but also note selective data use, incomplete transparency on removals vs. arrests, and that mass deportation aims were not fully met (TRAC, Reuters, FactCheck) — offering a counterbalance to political rhetoric [1] [2] [9].
7. Bottom line for the original question
There is no single figure in these sources that answers “how many illegals were allowed in” during Trump’s first term; available reporting documents arrests, removals (about 157,948 removals in a cited period), and declines in some encounter measures, but not a net admissions total or a straightforward count of people “allowed in” [1] [2] [3]. To get that precise number would require combining CBP, DHS, ICE, USCIS and State visa data and clarifying definitions — data and methodology not provided in the current reporting (not found in current reporting).