Homeland Security reveals it costs $18,225 to deport one person – over 675K have already been deported since Trump took office

The federal government is spending an average of $18,225 to prosecute and remove each undocumented immigrant. This figure was confirmed by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin during a recent appearance on Fox News.

According to The Daily Beast, Mullin explained that legal requirements are a big reason for the high cost, saying, “Because of the way the laws are written and the way they can claim asylum, we have to provide the attorney for the individuals, the way that they clog up our judicial system. And then we have to pay to deport the individual.”

Fox News host Laura Ingraham suggested the $18,225 cost is relatively small compared to the broader impact of deportations. Mullin agreed and made clear the administration has no plans to slow down, stating, “We’re not slowing down. We’re going after the illegals. We would love for them to leave on their own, and we have programs to help assist you to go back. Because if we have to go through the prosecution process, you’ll never come back to this country legally, ever.”

The deportation push has moved fast, but questions about spending and efficiency remain

The Department of Homeland Security reports that more than 675,000 people have been deported since the administration took office. Officials also estimate that around 2.2 million people have self-deported during that same period.

However, the way some of these removals have been carried out has drawn scrutiny. A report from the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, released in February, found that the administration spent over $40 million deporting people to countries other than their home nations. Critics have also raised broader concerns about Trump’s fitness and ability to remain in office.

Data from January showed the government paid more than $32 million to five countries (Rwanda, El Salvador, Eswatini, Palau, and Equatorial Guinea) to accept around 300 foreign nationals. The report also noted that about 80 percent of those individuals had already returned to their home countries or were in the process of doing so.

The administration has also expanded its immigration enforcement tools. An executive order was signed that allows the attorney general and the homeland security secretary to revoke visas for non-citizens in cases involving flag desecration.

The current situation also follows leadership changes within the department. After public backlash over the deaths of two citizens in Minneapolis, the administration signaled a need to scale back operations, which eventually led to the firing of former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. 

Meanwhile, Trump has continued to make headlines on other fronts, including his McDonald’s PR stunt with a delivery grandma. Mullin took over the DHS role and has since kept the department focused on its current deportation pace, maintaining that the legal costs involved are an unavoidable part of the process.