U.S. immigration judges issued deportation orders for more than 7,000 Mexican nationals in October 2024, making Mexicans the most deported nationality group that month, according to a new analysis of immigration court records obtained by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.
This marks a significant rise in deportations of Mexican citizens from the U.S., with October seeing the highest monthly total in over a decade.
TRAC attributes the surge in deportation orders to both an increase in the number of immigration court cases involving Mexican nationals and a higher percentage of these cases resulting in deportation.
In October 2023, immigration judges closed 7,814 cases involving Mexican nationals, with 37% ordered deported — a figure close to the national average of 35% in immigration cases of other nationals.
By October 2024, the number of immigration cases involving Mexicans had risen to 10,944, with 66% ending in deportation orders, significantly above the national average of 46%.
Key Findings from October 2024 Data:
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Backlog: The immigration court backlog reached 3,724,095 cases by the end of October 2024. Of these, 1,669,221 immigrants had filed asylum applications and were awaiting decisions or hearings.
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Geographic Distribution: Miami-Dade County, Florida, recorded the highest number of residents with pending deportation cases.
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New and Completed Cases: Immigration Courts received 87,620 new cases in FY 2025 as of October 2024, while 81,472 cases were completed.
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Criminal Deportations: Just 0.73% of new cases in Fiscal Year 2025 cited alleged criminal activity (excluding undocumented entry) as grounds for deportation.
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Deportation Orders: Judges issued removal or voluntary departure orders in 46.4% of completed cases in FY 2025 through October, totaling 35,657 deportation orders.
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In October alone, 34,760 immigrants were ordered removed, and 897 granted voluntary departure, out of 76,785 completed cases.
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Relief Granted: Of the 3,743 cases where relief was provided in October 2024, 66% (2,471 cases) resulted in asylum being granted after merit hearings.
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State Variation: Immigrants in Montana faced the highest deportation rates, while those in Vermont experienced the lowest.
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Representation: Only 14.2% of immigrants ordered removed in October 2024 had legal representation, including unaccompanied minors.
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Bond Hearings: Immigration judges conducted 3,061 bond hearings in FY 2025 (through October), granting bond in 787 cases.
Mexican nationals continue to dominate deportation statistics, with more orders issued for this group than any other nationality so far in Fiscal Year 2025.
Read TRAC’s full report, with direct access to its Immigration Court Quick Facts tool, here
