DHS says nearly 3 million people left the U.S. in the administration's first year, including 622,000+ deportations

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem posted an internal message on Jan. 21, 2026 marking the first year of the Trump administration and praising DHS staff for what she described as "record-breaking achievements." She credited DHS with restoring the rule of law, securing the border, and removing nearly 3 million unauthorized migrants (including an estimated 2.2 million "self-deportations" and over 622,000 deportations), said fentanyl trafficking at the southern border was cut by more than half versus 2024, cited a U.S. Coast Guard cocaine seizure metric, and said DHS saved taxpayers more than $13.2 billion. Noem thanked employees and urged continued momentum into 2026.