Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced on August 14, that approximately 1.6 million undocumented immigrants have left the United States in the first 200 days of President Donald Trump’s second term.
The figure, attributed to self-deportations, reflects the administration’s immigration enforcement policies, which include a multimillion-dollar international ad campaign and a rebranded CBP Home App offering $1,000 and a free flight for voluntary departures.
Noem Highlights Impact of Trump’s Policies
In a post on X, Noem stated, “In less than 200 days, 1.6 MILLION illegal immigrants have left the United States population. This is massive. This means safer streets, taxpayer savings, pressure off of schools and hospital services and better job opportunities for Americans.”
In less than 200 days, 1.6 MILLION illegal immigrants have left the United States population. This is massive. This means safer streets, taxpayer savings, pressure off of schools and hospital services and better job opportunities for Americans.
Thank you @POTUS Trump!
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) August 14, 2025
During a Fox News appearance on August 14, she elaborated, “We have 1.6 [million] illegal immigrants that have left this country voluntarily,” crediting Trump’s strategy.
“He said, ‘Kristi, if you’re going to be my Homeland Security Secretary, we’re going to follow the law, you’re going to do commercials, you’re going to tell the world that no longer will we tolerate people being in our country illegally, and that they need to go home.’”
WATCH:
🚨 @Sec_Noem: 1.6M illegal aliens have voluntarily left the United States.
"The world got the message. They're leaving on their own, which is the best thing for American citizens." https://t.co/NmKYlSMWJX pic.twitter.com/I1Hu6zt4m5
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 14, 2025
Data Source and Limitations
The DHS cited data from the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), which reported a decline in the undocumented population from 15.8 million in January 2025 to 14.2 million by July, based on the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS).
However, CIS noted potential inaccuracies due to the survey’s small sample size of 60,000 households and reduced participation by noncitizens, possibly driven by fears of data-sharing with immigration enforcement agencies.
Julia Gelatt of the Migration Policy Institute told Newsweek, “A drop of 1.6 million in the unauthorized immigrant population in just 6 months would be far outside trends the U.S. has seen before,” cautioning that lower survey response rates could exaggerate the decline.
Policy Implementation and Criticism
The Trump administration’s measures include ending the CBP One App, which facilitated entry for over one million migrants, and replacing it with the CBP Home App under Operation Homecoming.
DHS reported over 352,000 arrests and 324,000 removals of undocumented immigrants, alongside efforts to terminate Temporary Protected Status and parole programs.
While Noem and Trump assert these policies enhance public safety and economic opportunities, critics, including local D.C. officials, argue they strain community relations and may not reflect actual population changes due to data limitations. The administration plans to continue its enforcement operations, with ongoing debates over their impact and accuracy of reported figures.
