U.S. deportation flights hit nearly 300 in May 2026, highest monthly total since January 2025

Nearly 300 Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation flights left the United States in May 2026, the highest monthly total since President Trump took office, Washington Examiner reported. That figure more than doubled the 126 flights recorded in January 2025.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said the government has deported nearly 900,000 illegal immigrants on planes since January 20, 2025.

Approximately 3,000 government-chartered removal flights have departed under the current administration. DHS and ICE officials arrested more than 400,000 illegal immigrants between mid-April 2026 and May 17, 2026. The cumulative arrest total since early 2025 reached more than 900,000 through May 17.

DHS officials recorded 457,000 arrests as of mid-April 2026. The agency did not respond when asked how the count nearly doubled in one month. 2 million others self-deported or voluntarily left the country.

The agency has promoted the CBP Home app, which allows illegal immigrants to register and receive a free one-way plane ticket home. 2 million self-deportation figure likely overstated actual departures and probably reflected only a few thousand app users. He said DHS appeared to be counting all foreign-born people leaving the country.

Central America remained the leading destination for deportation flights in every month since January 2025, accounting for 40 to 60 percent of flights, according to Human Rights First’s ICE Flight Monitor. Flights to interior Mexico and South America ranked second and third. Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean each received several dozen flights per month combined.

Europe and the Middle East received flights nearly every month, while Oceania received infrequent flights. Domestic ICE flights also rose sharply.