The number of immigrants choosing to abandon their asylum applications and voluntarily leave the U.S. has risen sharply under President Donald Trump’s administration, according to data analyzed by the Washington Post.

According to figures from the Vera Institute of Justice, immigration judges issued more than 80,000 "voluntary departure" orders between January 2025 and March 2026.

This figure represents a more than 600% increase from the approximately 11,400 cases during the final 15 months of former President Joe Biden’s term.

Data shows the trend continues to rise:

  • approximately 6,370 voluntary departure cases in July,

  • increasing to over 9,000 cases in March.

During the second half of the Biden term, the average was only about 750 cases per month.

According to the Washington Post, it is currently unclear how many cases fall under the "self-deportation" program being promoted by the Trump administration.

This program allows immigrants to self-report via a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) app to receive:

  • a free plane ticket home,

  • along with cash assistance.

"Voluntary departure" is an option for immigrants who decide not to proceed with their asylum cases.

These individuals:

  • do not have a formal deportation order on their record,

  • making it easier to legally return to the U.S. in the future.

To qualify:

  • immigrants must not have serious criminal records,

  • and typically must pay for their own departure costs.

However, more than 70% of the 80,000 cases under the Trump administration accepted departure from within immigration detention centers.

This has led many immigrant advocacy groups to argue:

  • detention conditions are currently too high-pressure,

  • and many people choose to leave the U.S. simply to get out of detention centers faster.

Shayna Kessler from the Vera Institute told the Washington Post:

"They choose this because they want to get out of detention faster and no longer see a chance for legal protection."

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security maintains these figures show that the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration is working effectively.

A DHS spokesperson said:

"The Biden administration and Alejandro Mayorkas allowed millions of unvetted illegal immigrants to flood into American communities."

The official stated that the current administration is:

"enforcing the law exactly as it was written to protect America."