The United States says more than three million undocumented migrants have left the country since President Donald Trump returned to office, as his administration intensifies its crackdown on illegal immigration.
The white House made the claim in a fact sheet published on Wednesday, August 12, outlining what it described as the administration’s efforts to overhaul the US immigration system and strengthen border security.
According to the White House, the Trump administration has gone 15 consecutive months without releasing people who entered the country illegally into the US interior. It also said more than three million “illegal aliens” had been deported, including thousands of people convicted of violent crimes.
The figures represent a central part of Trump’s second-term immigration agenda, which has focused on reducing illegal entry, increasing removals and restricting access to immigration and citizenship programmes.
The White House said Trump declared a crisis at the US southern border during his first week back in office and directed federal agencies to take immediate measures to end what the administration described as the previous government’s “record-shattering illegal immigration.”
In May, DHS said more than three million undocumented migrants had left the US because of Trump’s immigration crackdown, including an estimated 2.2 million self-deportations and roughly 900,000 deportations at that point.
No illegal migrants Released Into Interior
In May, the Department of Homeland Security announced 12 consecutive months of zero releases of people apprehended after illegally crossing the border. At the time, DHS said daily apprehensions had fallen sharply compared with the previous administration.
The policy represents one of the sharpest changes from the Biden administration’s approach to border enforcement, with the Trump administration prioritising detention, removal and deterrence.
The White House also said the administration has also tightened visa screening and paused visa processing for nationals of 75 countries it considers high-risk.
Denaturalization Surge
The administration says it has also launched what it calls an unprecedented “denaturalization surge”.
Denaturalisation is the legal process through which citizenship obtained through naturalisation can be revoked in certain circumstances, generally involving issues such as fraud or concealment of material information in the naturalisation process.
The administration’s latest figures indicate that its immigration campaign extends beyond undocumented migrants to some people who have already obtained US citizenship.
The White House also said it has terminated taxpayer-funded benefits for more than 1.4 million undocumented migrants who were allegedly receiving public assistance improperly.
The latest White House fact sheet also highlighted two executive orders signed by Trump on August 6 targeting birth tourism and the interpretation of birthright citizenship.
The orders followed the Supreme Court’s June 30, 2026 ruling in Trump v. Barbara, which the White House says clarified categories of children born in the United States who may not automatically qualify for citizenship under historically recognised exceptions.
One August 6 executive order identifies categories of children of foreign nationals who the administration says are not entitled to birthright citizenship.
The second directs the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to take action against birth tourism, in which foreign nationals travel to the US with the intention of giving birth there.
