NPR spoke to immigration experts and lawyers and reviewed government documents to break down the steps of the U.S. deportation process and its cost.

How does deportation work, and how much does it cost? We break it down ...

A loved one detained by ICE? Learn how the U.S. deportation process works, understand immigration deportation laws, and explore removal defense options.

Noncitizens who are not legally present in the United States, and noncitizens who are legally present but who are accused of violating a requirement of their legal status, may find themselves facing deportation from the country.

Two million illegal aliens have left the United States in less than 250 days, including an estimated 1.6 million who have voluntarily self-deported and more than 400,000 deportations.

Donald Trump campaigned on a platform of mass deportation. Since he took office, his administration has reshaped immigration enforcement across the country.

Find out about deportation, the removal of non-citizens from the United States as a result of immigration law violations, and how deportation works.

Deportation in the US 2026 In 2026, the United States has entered a new era of immigration enforcement marked by a rapid expansion of deportation operations and policy shifts under President Donald J. Trump’s second term. Within the first 100 days, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested over 66,000 individuals and removed more than 65,000 —levels not seen in recent years ...