Fact check: How many US citizens have been deported or detained in 2025

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available analyses, no sources provide specific data on US citizens being deported or detained in 2025. The analyses focus exclusively on non-citizen immigrants and migrants in ICE custody.

The available deportation data shows significant enforcement activity targeting non-citizens:

• ICE deported 11,000 migrants in February, 12,300 in the first four weeks of March, and 17,200 in April 2025 ^[1]
• ICE is currently holding roughly 50,000 people and has averaged more than 1,300 arrests each day in June, representing a more than 100% increase from President Trump's first 100 days in office ^{[2] [3]}

Regarding the composition of those detained, over 75% of people booked into ICE custody in fiscal year 2025 had no criminal conviction other than an immigration or traffic-related offense, and less than 10% were convicted of serious crimes like murder, assault, robbery, or rape ^[4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question assumes US citizens are being deported or detained in significant numbers, but the analyses reveal this premise may be flawed. US citizens cannot legally be deported, as deportation is specifically a process for removing non-citizens from the country.

However, there are documented cases historically where US citizens have been mistakenly detained by immigration authorities, though none of the sources provide 2025 data on such incidents. The analyses focus on:

• The Trump administration's efforts to expand the pool of undocumented immigrants through policy changes like terminating the CHNV parole program, which affects over 500,000 people ^[5]
• Fast-track deportation policies that civil liberties organizations are challenging in court ^[6]

Political stakeholders benefit differently from various narratives: Immigration enforcement agencies and the Trump administration benefit from demonstrating high deportation numbers to fulfill campaign promises, while civil rights organizations benefit from highlighting potential overreach and due process concerns.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains a fundamental legal misconception by asking about US citizen deportations. This framing could perpetuate confusion about immigration law, as deportation specifically applies to non-citizens.

The question may inadvertently spread misinformation by:

• Implying that US citizens are subject to deportation, which is legally impossible
• Potentially conflating detention of US citizens (which can occur in error) with deportation
• Creating false equivalency between citizen and non-citizen immigration enforcement

The lack of data on US citizen detention/deportation in all sources suggests either this is not occurring at significant levels, or such incidents are not being systematically tracked or reported by major news outlets covering immigration enforcement in 2025.