President Trump’s efforts to curb illegal immigration and secure the southern border have led to increased deportations across the country.
New immigration policies and enforcement practices under President Trump have caused increased deportations across the United States as the administration works to secure the southern border and remove immigrants that are residing in the country illegally.
In Pennsylvania and New Jersey combined, recent analysis showed that more than 2,000 people were deported in March and April of this year. This represents an 80% increase in deportations since 2024, before President Trump took office.
In April, federal immigration court removals were up 81% in Pennsylvania and 103% in New Jersey.
The administration has also incentivized self-deportation for illegal immigrants. Through the CBP Home App, illegal immigrants are eligible to receive travel assistance and a $1,000 stipend from the Department of Homeland Security for self-deporting.
In January, Trump issued an executive order titled “Protecting the American People against Invasion”. The order allows the administration to fast-track deportation proceedings for people who have been in the country for less than two years.
President Trump’s immigration enforcement tactics have been criticized recently for ICE arrests being made in courtrooms. In Philadelphia’s immigration court, lawyers said there have been arrests in the lobby.
ICE agents have made arrests in court rooms and taken illegal immigrants to detention centers, where it is more difficult for lawyers to fight cases.
According to immigration lawyer Rober Barchiesi, crowded detention facilities and court backlogs have forced lawyers to fight for weeks for an answer as to why their clients were detained.
The caseload in Philadelphia has also exponentially increased to more than 85,000 cases. Judges have been issuing dates for hearings in asylum cases as far out as 2027.
Federal data shows the number of asylum applications denied in Philadelphia each month more than doubled in April of this year compared with the monthly average over 2024 when President Biden was in office.
The Executive Office of Immigration Review has said the court is committed to reducing the national backlog. It declined to comment on specific court policies.
With the backlog of cases, fliers advertising the incentive for self-deportation are being posted in courthouses. Some attorneys have criticized the advertisement of the incentive as a way to “create a sense of fear and chaos.”
The Trump administration maintains the stance that it is deporting illegal immigrants and bringing safety back to American communities by removing violent criminals residing within the country.
