DHS Announces Record Immigration Enforcement Numbers, Promotes Self-Deportation Incentive

DHS releases year-end enforcement statistics claiming ICE arrested the “worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens” including individuals convicted of heinous crimes. The announcements use inflammatory language describing arrests of people convicted of “raping a child under 12-years-old, domestic violence assault, and alien smuggling.”

According to DHS, border crossings are down 93 percent year-over-year, with illegal alien apprehensions at the southwest border averaging 245 per day. The department claims 70 percent of those arrested by ICE are “criminal illegal aliens” charged or convicted of crimes in the U.S.

However, independent data analysis reveals a different story. The Deportation Data Project shows approximately 75,000 people arrested by ICE in the first nine months of 2025 had no criminal record—over one-third of all arrests. This contradicts DHS claims of targeting criminals and exposes the propaganda nature of the announcements.

DHS also announces that those in the United States illegally could self-deport via the CBP Home app before December 31, 2025, and receive a $3,000 stipend plus a free flight home. The program creates financial incentives for voluntary removal while enforcement actions accelerate, essentially offering payment to avoid arrest and detention.

The DHS hired 11,751 law enforcement officers, criminal investigators, attorneys, and mission support staff under Trump and Secretary Noem’s leadership, receiving over 220,000 applications for more than 10,000 ICE officer positions. This massive hiring expansion builds enforcement capacity for continued mass deportation operations.

The announcements exemplify systematic use of propaganda: DHS highlights rare arrests of individuals with serious criminal convictions while obscuring that most arrests target people with no criminal history. The messaging creates fear and justifies enforcement expansion while misrepresenting the actual targets and scope of operations.