Immigration
Nearly 1.5 million migrants ordered to leave the US: Government issues deportation decrees
With Trump’s return to power looming, mass deportations are on the horizon. Here’s what you need to know about the legal process and what happens next.
As Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, he and his administration have promised large-scale deportations of undocumented immigrants. The president-elect also signaled during the 2024 campaign the potential of ending the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, which has allowed thousands of migrants from select nations to legally live and work in the U.S.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reports that over 10 million migrants entered the US during Joe Biden’s presidency. With the transition of power fast approaching, many are now facing deportation orders. According to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 1,445,548 migrants have been issued final deportation orders by immigration courts—an irreversible mandate to leave the country as of November 24.
Who receives a deportation order?
Deportation orders are not handed out lightly. According to immigration attorney María Herrera Mellado, these orders are issued after migrants exhaust all legal avenues to remain in the country or fail to file an appeal within the required timeframe.
“This typically happens after someone has used up all their legal options, such as filing appeals, or has chosen not to appeal within the allowed period,” Mellado explained to Diario Las Américas.
Once the order is final, there’s little recourse left for those impacted.
What happens after a deportation order?
Migrants who receive deportation orders are often given the option to leave the country voluntarily within a specified time frame. If they fail to do so, ICE steps in to enforce the deportation. Forced removals require prior approval from the deportee’s home country, which must agree to receive its citizens back.
While awaiting authorization from their home country, migrants can be detained temporarily. However, these detentions are capped at six months. If the process takes longer, the individual must be released under certain conditions—unless deemed a national security threat.
Original article written by Daniela Barrera, translated with the assistance of AI and edited by Greg Heilman.
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