Nearly 2 million illegals have self-deported under the second Trump administration, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The striking figure, 1.9 million voluntary departures between January and mid-December, was announced by DHS in a year-end release on the department's accomplishments in 2025.

The Washington Examiner reported that the self-deportation total was evidence that President Donald Trump's White House strategy of pressuring illegal aliens to leave on their own is producing results, even as Democrats and activist groups denounced the messaging as harsh.

The administration, however, argued it is a cost-effective way to restore order after years of what Republicans describe as open-border chaos.

"President Trump is delivering on his promise to make America safe again and deport criminal illegal aliens," White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told the Examiner, calling the crackdown the "largest mass deportation operation of criminal illegal aliens in history."

The outlet also reported that an additional 600,000 illegal aliens, most with criminal histories, have been deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Together, the totals suggest the administration is leaning heavily on a combination of enforcement and deterrence.

Analysts cited by the Examiner noted that ICE's roughly 6,500 deportation officers simply do not have the manpower to arrest and remove millions of people quickly — making voluntary departures a key pressure release valve for a system overloaded during the years under former President Joe Biden.

Former immigration judge Andrew Arthur told the outlet that when the government enforces the law consistently, many people "get the message and leave on their own."

That "message" has been amplified through daily social media posts and publicized arrests intended to warn migrants that remaining in the U.S. illegally will come with consequences.

The Examiner noted the White House posted about the arrest of an illegal alien previously deported and convicted of fentanyl trafficking, underscoring the administration's emphasis on criminal enforcement and deterrence.

Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks rejected criticisms that the campaign is meant to frighten communities, saying the intent is to send a clear warning: "Do not come."

CBS News reported last week that DHS has expanded its voluntary departure incentives by tripling the "exit bonus" from $1,000 to $3,000 for undocumented migrants who register through the rebranded CBP Home app and leave by Dec. 31.

Participants can also receive free airfare to their home country and waivers of certain civil fines tied to unlawful presence.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told CBS that migrants who refuse the program will be "found," "arrested," and "never [allowed to] return" to the U.S.

The administration said the program saves taxpayers money.

CBS cited ICE estimates putting the average cost of arresting, detaining, and deporting a migrant at about $17,000, far higher than airfare and a stipend.

DHS said "tens of thousands" have used CBP Home to coordinate departures, though officials have declined to release a detailed breakdown of how many received government assistance versus those who left independently.

Some immigration analysts questioned whether DHS' 1.9 million total may be inflated.

The Examiner reported that Cato Institute researcher David Bier said the number could include some legals leaving voluntarily and might be affected by incomplete survey data.

Still, even skeptics acknowledge the broader trend: Departures are rising as enforcement tightens.