Immigrants are giving up their cases and leaving the U.S. in soaring numbers

"Immigration judges issued more than 80,000 “voluntary departure” orders from January 2025 through March of this year, according to court data obtained by the Vera Institute of Justice and shared with The Washington Post. Such orders are granted to immigrants who request to leave on their own terms while giving up the opportunity to seek a new life in the U.S. They are not given a formal deportation order, which could make it easier for them to return legally in the future."

"The number of people abandoning their immigration cases is at least seven times as high as the number seen in the last 15 months of the Biden administration, when 11,400 took that option. More than 70 percent of those granted a voluntary departure order during President Donald Trump's second administrationwere being held in immigration detention when they made the request, a far higher share than those who departed willingly while Joe Biden was in the White House."

"The shift is one of the most striking data points to emerge from Trump's mass deportation campaign and appears to be part of his broader effort to purge millions of immigrants from the U.S. Officials have promoted the option on social media and in posters plastered in detention centers and courts. Immigration attorneys say the spike reflects the mounting strain on people who are facing long stints in detention as they await a hearing in immigration court, where it has become increasingly difficult to win asylum."

"“These changes come at the same time as the number of people who are detained and facing deportation is increasing and relatively fewer people are being released from detention,” Vera researchers Jacquelyn Pavilon and Neil Agarwalconclude"

Immigrants are leaving the United States in much higher numbers by requesting voluntary departure instead of pursuing humanitarian protection. Immigration judges issued more than 80,000 voluntary departure orders from January 2025 through March, based on court data. Voluntary departure is granted to people who request to leave on their own terms while giving up the chance to seek a new life in the U.S., and it is not a formal deportation order. The number of people abandoning immigration cases is at least seven times higher than during the last 15 months of the Biden administration. Over 70% of those granted voluntary departure during the Trump administration were held in immigration detention when they requested it, reflecting longer detention stays and reduced ability to win asylum.

Read at The Washington Post