U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported 271,484 immigrants to nearly 200 countries during the last fiscal year, the highest number since 2014, according to ICE’s annual report released Thursday, The Washington Post reported.

Most of the deportees had crossed the U.S. southern border illegally, driven by poverty, violence, and economic collapse in the Western Hemisphere following the pandemic. The report, covering enforcement operations from Oct. 1, 2023, to Sept. 30, marks ICE’s final enforcement tally under the Biden administration before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.

Related Story: Is the Trump Administration Planning a Massive Increase in Legal Immigration?

Trump Pledges Mass Deportation

Trump has pledged to launch what he calls the largest deportation campaign in U.S. history, though he has provided few specific details on how to carry it out. Staffing levels for ICE enforcement officers have remained largely unchanged for years.

“Our agency is chronically underfunded, but our workforce is adaptable, resilient, and agile, and they set the bar high within the federal government,” ICE’s top official, Patrick J. Lechleitner, said in a statement. “ICE is an apolitical agency, and one thing I can tell you about our workforce is that they’re here to investigate crimes and enforce the laws Congress sets forth.”

Under Biden, deportation levels initially decreased as the administration paused removals and proposed immigration reforms aimed at granting pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. However, a surge in border crossings derailed those plans, prompting an expansion of detention and deportation efforts.

Related Story: San Diego Sheriff Defies New Policy to Limit Cooperation With Immigration ...

Deportations during Trump’s first term peaked at 267,260 in the 2019 fiscal year, with the majority targeting individuals arrested in the interior of the U.S. rather than recent border crossers. Trump has promised a major increase in deportations, including potentially targeting all undocumented immigrants.

ICE deportations last year were highest to Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Immigration officials cited increased diplomatic efforts and expanded charter flights, particularly to the Eastern Hemisphere, as factors contributing to the rise in removals.

One-Third of Those Deported Had a Criminal Record, Pending Charges

Approximately 33% of those deported had criminal records or pending charges, with traffic violations, drug offenses, immigration violations, and assaults among the top offenses. Deportations of unaccompanied minors dropped significantly from 2019 levels, while family deportations increased.

Related Story: Trump Taps Forceful Ally of Hard-Line Immigration Policies to Head Customs and ...

Trump faces challenges in expanding deportations, particularly from states like California and Illinois, where political opposition to ICE policies remains strong. Support from state and local jurisdictions will be essential to his enforcement plans, particularly from states like Texas, which cooperates more with federal immigration enforcement.

The issue of family separations under Trump also looms, given his administration’s past use of such policies to deter illegal border crossings. Trump has said families would remain together, but only by leaving the country together.

Read more at The Washington Post.