Concluding 2025, the Trump administration deported over 605,000 illegal immigrants—exceeding Obama-era records of 432,000 but short of the 1 million annual goal—while 1.9 million others departed voluntarily, per DHS. Continuing prior coverage of high-profile criminal removals, recent cases include a Venezuelan influencer, a repeat abuser, and a sex trafficker.
Federal data confirms 605,000 deportations by year's end, topping the 2013 Obama high-water mark. The focus remains on criminals, adding to earlier highlighted cases.
Leonel Moreno, a Venezuelan social media influencer who entered illegally in 2022, promoted welfare exploitation in videos. Arrested in Ohio in 2024 for missing check-ins, he was deported in March after the Trump team secured Venezuela's acceptance, succeeding where Biden failed.
Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican previously deported in 2013, faced charges of strangulation, battery, and domestic abuse. Arrested in April after a Wisconsin judge's intervention led to a courthouse chase, he was removed in November.
Rafael Alberto Cadena-Sosa, a Mexican sex trafficker, ran a Miami ring luring girls as young as 14 into 12-hour daily prostitution. Convicted in 2015 of involuntary servitude, he was arrested in California before deportation.
Aldrin Guerrero-Munoz, convicted of murdering his 3-month-old son in Minneapolis and sentenced to 32 years, was deported after a prison assault; ICE took custody in October.
Jung Choi, a South Korean convicted of voluntary manslaughter for killing her companion's wife in 2017 near San Juan Batista, California (11-year sentence), was also recently removed.
These cases underscore the criminal prioritization amid debates over community impacts.
