Eight in 10 Deportees Had No Criminal Record, MPI Analysis Finds

• Deportations under Trump administration in the spotlight
• MPI analysis about criminal convictions
• Longtime US residents deported

Eight in ten people deported under President Donald Trump's second administration had no criminal convictions, and an increasing number had lived in the United States for years. Those are the findings of an analysis by the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), a nonpartisan research organization, as reported by Noticias Telemundo on October 22, 2026.

• Between January 20, 2025, and July 31, 2026, approximately 980,000 people were deported, with only 20% having prior criminal convictions.
• Excluding border turnarounds, 61% of people deported by ICE had lived in the United States for at least two years, and 15% had lived there for at least a decade.
• The Trump administration says its deportation campaign targets the "worst of the worst," but DHS did not respond to Noticias Telemundo's requests for comment.

Why it matters: The findings offer a way to compare the administration's stated enforcement priorities with available deportation data. They also reveal an increase in deportations involving immigrants who have established lives in the United States.

What the MPI Analysis Reveals About Deportations Under Trump and Criminal Convictions

The analysis was conducted by Marc Rosenblum, who led the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of Homeland Security Statistics (OHSS) until the summer of 2026. According to his findings, among deportees with criminal convictions, approximately half of the reported offenses involved traffic violations or illegal border crossings.

"Most convictions are not for violent or serious crimes," Rosenblum explained. He also argued that focusing broadly on deporting as many people as possible can make it more difficult to prioritize individuals with criminal histories.

According to Rosenblum, even deportations involving people with criminal convictions remain below the highest annual levels recorded during the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

Deportations of Longtime US Residents Increased Under Trump Administration

The analysis identifies a growing emphasis on immigration enforcement within the United States rather than exclusively at the border. Between January and March 2025, an average of approximately 10,000 people deported each month had lived in the country for at least two years. Between May and July 2026, that figure increased by 77%, reaching approximately 18,000 deportations per month.

Among immigrants who had lived in the United States for at least 10 years, monthly deportations increased by 147%, from approximately 2,400 to 6,000 during the same periods.

One case illustrates the concerns surrounding immigration enforcement involving longtime US residents and people with medical conditions, some of which have been deported. According to EFE, 41-year-old Cuban national Noslén Sendra has been detained at Miami's Krome detention center since November 2025, after attending an appointment with ICE. He has type 2 diabetes and has experienced three episodes of acute pancreatitis. His wife, Anisley Cortez, said he had been informed that he could be deported to Africa because neither Cuba nor Mexico would accept him. Attorney Shalyn Fluharty indicated that deportation flights to the Central African Republic and possibly Burundi were expected this week, although those plans had not been confirmed.

According to CubitaNOW, Human Rights Watch documented 536 deportations to African countries other than migrants' countries of origin between January 2025 and August 2026. MundoNow has previously reported on the possible deportation of seriously ill migrants to Africa and on the Supreme Court ruling allowing deportations to third countries to continue while legal challenges proceed.

Trump's Deportation Figures vs. MPI Estimates

DHS did not respond to Noticias Telemundo's requests for comment. The Trump administration has maintained that its immigration enforcement campaign prioritizes the "worst of the worst" and has characterized those leaving the country as undocumented immigrants.

The administration has reported higher figures than MPI's analysis: approximately 1.1 million deportations and 2.2 million purported voluntary departures or self-deportations, for a combined total exceeding 3 million, according to DHS. However, the estimated number of formal deportations and returns remains below the stated goal of the Trump administration of deporting 1 million people annually.

Rosenblum also highlighted a lack of detailed official reporting. Because DHS has not released the comprehensive annual immigration enforcement reports normally produced by OHSS, his analysis relied on publicly available information, including records obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

How Many Immigrants Have Self-Deported Under Trump?

Rosenblum estimates that between 790,000 and 1.9 million immigrants who had lived in the United States for at least one year departed between January 2025 and July 2026, including both government-enforced deportations and self-departures. The estimate accounts for voluntary departures and initiatives such as Project Homecoming, which uses a government mobile application and offers eligible participants up to $2,600 to leave the country.

The researcher cautions that departure estimates may include lawfully present immigrants and US citizens, such as American-born children who left with their parents. He noted that the app does not verify citizenship status. As a result, the number of undocumented immigrants who left the country may be lower than the administration's reported total.

What to Do if You or a Family Member Faces Deportation

• Consult a qualified immigration attorney or accredited legal representative. A timely legal review may identify options available in your circumstances.
• Do not miss immigration appointments or court hearings. Failing to appear can have serious consequences for your case.
• Create a family emergency plan. Decide who will care for your children and how family members will communicate if someone is detained.
• Keep important documents accessible. Maintain identification, birth certificates, proof of residence, and copies of immigration applications.
• Beware of fraudulent "notarios." In the United States, notaries public are not automatically qualified to provide immigration legal advice.

Sources: Noticias Telemundo (Migration Policy Institute analysis); EFE, via swissinfo; CubitaNOW. Data consulted on October 22, 2026.