A growing number of immigrants in the United States are abandoning their legal cases and choosing to leave the country, and many are being held in detention centers. This comes at a time when voluntary departures are on the rise under the Trump administration.Court data obtained by the Vera Institute of Justice shows that immigration judges issued more than 80,000 “voluntary departure” orders between January 2025 and March of this year. These numbers were shared with the Washington Post. The current data represents a sharp rise compared to the previous administration, when about 11,400 people chose this option during a similar period.Voluntary departure allows immigrants to leave the United States without a formal removal order.
This may sometimes make it easier to return legally in the future. But it also means abandoning any ongoing claim to remain in the country, including asylum claims.According to the data, more than 70% of those granted voluntary departure under the Trump administration were in immigration detention centers at the time they submitted the request. This is a higher percentage than under former President Joe Biden, when most people were released from overseas prisons.
The Trump administration has promoted voluntary departure as part of its anti-immigration campaign, with MAGA officials advertising the option in detention centers and online.Voluntary departure is a long-term legal option for people who are unlikely to win their cases in immigration court. Applicants must usually show good character, have no serious criminal record, and agree to leave within a specified time limit at their own expense.The Department of Homeland Security did not directly address the rise in numbers, but said the administration was enforcing immigration laws more stringently. The ministry said in a statement: “Biden and [then-Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas] They recklessly unleashed millions of unvetted illegal aliens into American communities — and they exploited numerous loopholes to do so, he said, adding that Trump officials were now enforcing the law “as it was actually written.”During the last half of the Biden administration, judges issued about 750 voluntary departure orders per month. After Donald Trump returned to office, this number began to rise to more than 6,000 in one month following immigration enforcement raids.Many migrants are now being held for months awaiting hearings, with fewer being released on bail.Immigration experts say the shift in policy has changed the way people deal with the system.“It is clear that this trend has increased, and that more people in detention are seeking voluntary departure as an alternative to remaining in detention,” said Ariel Ruiz Soto of the Migration Policy Institute.Some migrants describe harsh conditions and long stays in detention as reasons for leaving.
- A 33-year-old Middle Eastern man, who was arrested after crossing the US-Mexico border in 2024, reportedly suffered panic attacks and deteriorated his mental health while in detention. With no criminal record and allegations of religious persecution, he chose to leave after months of detention. “He told me: ‘Look, I’m dying here anyway. I would rather die in my country than go to a place where I will die,’” his brother said, adding: “I can’t live without freedom.”
- Another case involves Roman Husar, a Ukrainian artist who arrived in the United States with his family under a sponsorship program under Biden. After immigration detention and a bail denial hearing, he chose to leave voluntarily. “Nobody gets asylum here in Texas. Nobody,” he said. “People, they are deprived, deprived, deprived.” His lawyer later said: “This type of voluntary departure is not voluntary.” “It’s coercion.”
States with the highest numbers include Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia and California, which together account for tens of thousands of cases.
