US experiences negative net migration under Trump deportation efforts

The United States is experiencing negative migration, according to figures released Wednesday by the Census Bureau, with the approval of the Trump administration.

The Department of Homeland Security jumped on the news, saying in a statement that its mass deportation efforts helped achieve this apparent administration goal.

“In just one year, nearly 3 million illegal aliens have left the United States as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration,” the agency said in a statement.

The Census Bureau reported that population growth slowed significantly over the last fiscal year, increasing by 0.5% or 1.8 million people between July 2024 and July 2025.

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A construction vehicle builds the border wall near Sunland Park, New Mexico in 2026. (Christian Torres/Getty Images)

This figure represents the slowest population growth since the coronavirus pandemic, when the United States experienced a population increase of 0.2%.

In contrast, during the final year of the Biden administration, the population grew 1%, the fastest growth since the middle of the second Bush administration in 2006.

Christine Hartley, deputy chief of the Census Bureau’s Estimates and Projections Division, is on record as saying that the slowdown is “largely due to a historic decline in net international migration.”

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In comparison, national birth and death rates have remained stable compared to 2024, leading experts to cite net migration figures.

All states except West Virginia and Montana experienced slowing population growth or accelerating population decline, where applicable.

South Carolina was considered the fastest growing state, with a net increase in domestic migration of more than 66,000 people.

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The White House celebrated the goal of “negative net migration” in an official statement in August.

Like DHS, Trump attributed his ultimately correct projection to the end of the “migrant invasion” and mass deportation operations begun under Secretary of State Kristi Noem.

At that time, Noem bragged that 1.6 million illegal immigrants had “left” the United States in the first 200 days of Trump’s term. Supporters said the mass deportation program led to self-deportation, which could explain this particular prose.

“This is huge. It means safer streets, savings for taxpayers, reduced strain on schools and hospital services, and better job opportunities for Americans. Thank you, President Trump,” Noem said.

During a visit to Arizona last year, border czar Tom Homan said 90 percent of asylum seekers would end up with a deportation order due to a fraudulent application.

“You cannot demand due process and ignore the decision at the end of that due process, which is an order of impeachment,” he said at the time, according to the Arizona Capitol Times.