Beyond Deportation
The Many Ways U.S. Authorities Have Expelled Immigrants Since 1895
Deportation data is just one part of the story. Since the late 19th century, federal immigration authorities have used a broad range of mechanisms to expel migrants. Frequently grouped and labelled as “Enforcement Actions” in Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) statistical yearbooks, other ways U.S. authorities have expelled immigrants include considering noncitizens to be “excluded”, issuing “voluntary departures” against them, and subjecting noncitizens to “expulsions.”
Use the selection bar at the top of the chart below to filter the data by our five timeline periods. Notice how federal immigration officials have favored different mechanisms over time.
For more information please see our Data Methodology documentation on our Sources page.