ICE removed more than 185,000 individuals during fiscal year 2020, a significant drop from FY 2019

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed more than 185,000 individuals from the country during fiscal year 2020, a significant decline compared to the prior fiscal year.

The 185,884 removals carried out in fiscal year 2020 by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) marked a drop according to an agency report, which noted that there had been 267,258 removals in fiscal year 2019. 

"This decrease primarily resulted from a sharp decline in CBP apprehensions at the Southwest Border due to the use of authority under 42 U.S.C. §§ 265 and 268 to expel aliens from the United States to prevent the introduction of COVID19, though it was also impacted by a decline in ICE ERO interior arrests," the report noted.

"In FY 2020, ICE ERO removed 4,276 known or suspected gang members and 31 known or suspected terrorists," the report said.

A chart indicated that as in fiscal years 2018 and 2019, many of those removed had a criminal conviction or pending criminal charges.