Self-Deportations Are Rising Dramatically Under Trump Administration

The number of illegal aliens who are choosing to voluntarily deport themselves has spiked since President Donald Trump entered the White House.

Illegal immigrants who were granted voluntary departure — also known as “self-deportation” — increased by 50% in 2017, according to information compiled by The Marshall Project. In fiscal year 2018, the number of aliens who asked an immigration court for permission to leave the country on their own accord doubled from the previous fiscal year. Applications in 2018, in fact, reached a seven-year high.

The rising number of self-deportations far outpaces the 17% growth in overall U.S. immigration cases, indicating that a higher percentage of illegal migrants are opting to leave rather than face government-coerced deportation.

There are incentives for illegals who choose to voluntarily leave. Instead of being held in a detention center for an indefinite amount of time or undergo a strenuous courtroom battle, undocumented immigrants can simply return to their home country. Additionally, migrants who don’t have a deportation on their record are not required to wait years to apply for a U.S. visa to re-enter the country.