When United States President Donald Trump returned to the White House for a second term in January 2025, he quickly signed executive orders to deploy a “deportation force” that would remove “up to 20 million” undocumented immigrants. According to estimates published by policy researchers from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse University, Trump is falling behind on this promise. The TRAC report for the first quarter showed a daily average rate of 661 deportations, which is less than the 742 daily average of the previous administration.
In April 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) dismissed TRAC reports as inaccurate while claiming to have surpassed all deportation statistics from fiscal year 2024. As of June 2025, DHS hadn’t released removal numbers. Instead, it touted its high rate of detentions, which in a few embarrassing cases have involved American citizens.
Another report heralded by DHS comes from Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), which counted 12,452 migrants detained at the border with Mexico in May 2025. These detentions are for illegal border crossings, which have plummeted compared to the 302,000 reported in early 2023 by the previous administration. There’s no question the current enforcement and political climate in the U.S. has substantially reduced the flow of illegal migrants. However, the 12,452 CBP detentions show many people are still willing to take the risk.
What Motivates Illegal Immigration to the U.S.?
Before discussing this phenomenon, which is largely socioeconomic, it helps to cut through the Trump rhetoric. The Pew Research Center estimates 11.1 million foreigners are currently in the U.S., and most were admitted by CBP agents at designated ports of entry. This means they arrived with valid visas before falling into unauthorized status. Many are tourists, workers, and business visitors who overstayed their visas. Many others are immigrants who lost their legal status.
Most foreigners living in the U.S. aren’t undocumented. There are almost 25 million naturalized citizens and 13 million green card holders. Approximately 3.2 million are non-immigrants with special visas like H-1B for skilled workers and P-1A for athletes. Another 3 million foreigners are temporary residents seeking asylum or refugee status.
The statistics show most foreigners enter the U.S. legally, and they do so for work, education, and family reunification purposes. Whether the reasons are for employment or family-based immigration, San Diego immigration attorneys know the majority of foreigners who cross the border illegally or skip port of entry inspections come to the U.S. for socioeconomic reasons. The American Dream is still alive in the 21st century, and most of the world continues to see the U.S. as a land of economic opportunity.
In recent years, migration to the U.S. has been fueled by extreme poverty, political instability, and violence. The influx of Central American migrants seeking asylum can be explained by the multiple failures of the “War on Drugs.” The influx from Cuba and Venezuela is related to autocratic regimes that have failed their citizens. The flood from African and Middle East nations is caused by armed conflict and widespread violence.
A more alarming trend involves foreigners who lost faith in the broken U.S. immigration system. Some individuals become frustrated with the visa application process, which prompts them to risk illegal border crossings to reunite with loved ones. Immigration law firms strongly advise against taking such desperate measures because they may result in deportation, removal, and a lengthy ban on reentry.
If you have questions about any aspect of immigration regulations, contact the immigration attorneys San Diego residents trust. The lawyers at KS Visa Law have vast experience with every aspect of immigration law, and they’re the attorneys to call on when you need the most up-to-date information about immigration regulations. Call KS Visa Law today to schedule an appointment.
