Policy analysis: Voluntary departures surge as immigrants face prolonged detention
Jun 18, 2026

According to court data, immigration judges issued more than 80,000 voluntary departure orders between January 2025 and March 2026, a dramatic increase from 11,400 during the final 15 months of the Biden administration. Over 70% of immigrants granted voluntary departure orders were being held in immigration detention when they requested to leave, with detainees citing inability to secure bond hearings and lack of viable relief options.
Sources
Related incidents
- ICE plans new coordination center to expand 287(g) program in TennesseeAug 21, 2026
- USCIS warns employers TPS for 150,000 Salvadorans may end abruptlyAug 21, 2026
- US sends nearly 2,300 Mexican deportees through Guatemala, Honduras to bypass direct returnsAug 21, 2026
- Medical examiner identifies skeletal remains found in Pima County desertAug 21, 2026 · Pima County, AZ
- 160+ Haitians deported to gang-controlled Haiti after TPS status endsAug 20, 2026 · Cap-Haïtien, Haiti
- ICE operations intensify in Springfield, dozens of Haitians detained this monthAug 20, 2026 · Springfield, OH