Voluntary Departure Orders for Migrants Rise Sharply Since January 2025

U.S. The total marks a more than 600 percent increase from the 11,400 such orders issued during the last 15 months of the previous administration. Monthly figures have continued to climb. In March, more than 9,000 migrants received voluntary departure orders, up from 6,370 in July.

By comparison, roughly 750 migrants per month chose the option during the second half of the prior administration. Voluntary departure allows immigrants to leave the United States without a formal deportation order if they decide not to pursue their asylum claims.

The option has historically been available to those unlikely to qualify for asylum. Recipients must generally cover their own travel costs and cannot have a serious criminal record.

More than 70 percent of the 80,000 individuals who accepted voluntary departure since January 2025 did so from within federal immigration detention facilities. Advocates have said the trend reflects migrants seeking to exit detention more quickly when they see limited prospects for relief.

“People are taking it because they’re trying to get out of detention more quickly, because they don’t see any possible avenues for relief for themselves,” Shayna Kessler, a Vera Institute director, told the Washington Post. It is not clear how many of these cases overlap with a self-deportation program promoted by the current administration.

That program allows migrants to report via a Department of Homeland Security app in exchange for a cash stipend and a free flight home.

Security spokesperson told the Washington Post that the increase in voluntary departures demonstrates enforcement of immigration law. The spokesperson stated that previous policies had allowed millions of unvetted individuals into American communities through various loopholes.

The administration has described the statistics as evidence that its approach to immigration enforcement is achieving intended results. Voluntary departure orders do not bar future attempts to enter the U.S. immigration system at a later date. The Vera Institute of Justice compiled the data on orders issued by immigration judges.