type: timeline_event
A joint investigation by the Associated Press and the Washington Post published on March 15, 2026, documented a crisis of data integrity at the Department of Homeland Security. Reporters found that DHS had publicly cited three different deportation figures over a span of just three days: 675,000, 622,000, and 700,000. None of these numbers were accompanied by methodology, time period specifications, or consistent definitions of what counted as a "deportation."
The AP conducted its own independent analysis using available federal court records, airline manifests for ICE charter flights, and data from receiving countries. That analysis put the actual number of completed removals from the United States at approximately 400,000 since the start of the administration — a significant figure by historical standards but far below the numbers DHS was claiming. The discrepancy appeared to stem from the administration's practice of counting border turnaways, Title 42-style expulsions, and voluntary departures as "deportations," a definitional choice that inflated the figures substantially.
The investigation also revealed that standard government data pipelines had gone dark. DHS's quarterly enforcement statistics, which had been published continuously since 2003 under administrations of both parties, had stalled at January 2025 data. The State Department had stopped publishing visa issuance data after August 2025. The Center for Migration Studies of New York described the situation as a "functional blackout" of immigration data that made independent analysis nearly impossible.
Despite the documented inconsistencies, DHS spokesperson continued to describe the administration as "the most transparent in history" on immigration enforcement. The administration pointed to the president's social media posts and press briefings as evidence of transparency, while declining to restore the standardized data reporting systems that previous administrations had maintained. Researchers warned that without reliable data, Congress and the public had no way to evaluate whether the government's massive investment in immigration enforcement was producing the results it claimed.