President Trump’s administration is deporting fewer people than Biden’s did in its final year, according to newly released Department of Homeland Security data.

As reported by Reuters, in Trump’s first month, 37,660 people were deported, significantly lower than the monthly average of 57,000 during Biden’s last full year in office.

However, experts anticipate an increase in deportations as Trump implements new strategies. The administration is expanding deportation routes, including military-assisted flights to various countries and the use of Guantanamo Bay for Venezuelan migrants. Trump has mentioned plans to detain up to 30,000 migrants there, despite opposition from civil liberties groups.

“It’s going to be like turning a supertanker for the first few months,” said Adam Isacson, a security expert with the Washington Office on Latin America think tank. “The civilian part of the U.S. government can only do so much.”

Arrests Can Be Made at Immigration Courts

The administration is also making it easier to arrest deportable migrants without criminal records and to detain more people with final deportation orders. A recent Justice Department memo allows ICE officers to arrest migrants at U.S. immigration courts, reversing a Biden-era policy.

Related Story: ICE Official Reassigned Amid Frustrations Over Mass Deportation Effort

Jessica Vaughan from the Center for Immigration Studies noted, “Those are all harder cases. In the case of a worksite operation, you’ve got a lot of planning to do, some investigation that precedes it, all of which takes a lot of time.”

ICE Arrests on the Rise

Despite the slower start, ICE arrests have increased, with the agency doubling arrests of people with criminal charges or convictions compared to the same period last year. However, detention space remains a limiting factor, with ICE currently holding around 41,100 detainees.

The Republican-led Senate recently passed a bill allocating $340 billion over four years for border security, deportations, energy deregulation, and additional military spending. However, the party remains divided on how to proceed with the funding plan.

Read more at Reuters