- Massive Decline: California's annual ICE removals dropped by 82.1%, from 27,834 under Trump to just 4,980 under Biden, the steepest decline among top processing states.
- Rank Drop and National Share Shrinkage: California fell from 3rd to 4th in volume removal rankings and 4th to 5th in per capita ranking, which saw its share of U.S. removals decrease from 12.0% to 5.3% under Biden.
- Volatility in Removals: Deportations plunged by 89% from 33,116 in FY2018 to 3,639 in FY2024, with a brief spike in FY2023 followed by a 50.1% drop in FY2024, the lowest on record.
California's ICE deportations dropped 82.1%, from 27,834 under Trump to just 4,980 under Biden, losing nearly 23,000 removals annually. The state's share of national deportations fell from 12.0% to 5.3%, and its entire Biden-era total (19,919) didn't match even a single Trump-era year.
The study by The Mendoza Law Firm analyzed TRAC data from FY2017–2024 to trace how federal enforcement priorities reshaped deportation patterns in America’s most populous state.
California ICE Removals: Year-by-Year (FY2017–2024)
| Fiscal Year | ICE Removals | CA Population | Rate per 100K | Administration |
| FY2017 | 26,024 | 39,358,497 | 66 | Trump |
| FY2018 | 33,116 | 39,461,588 | 84 | Trump |
| FY2019 | 31,848 | 39,512,223 | 81 | Trump |
| FY2020 | 20,348 | 39,503,200 | 52 | Trump |
| FY2021 | 4,696 | 39,237,836 | 12 | Biden |
| FY2022 | 4,286 | 39,029,342 | 11 | Biden |
| FY2023 | 7,298 | 38,965,193 | 19 | Biden |
| FY2024 | 3,639 | 39,431,263 | 9 | Biden |
California’s deportations peaked at 33,116 in FY2018 before sliding to 20,348 in the pandemic-shortened FY2020, then cratering to 4,696 in FY2021, approximately 77% drop in just one fiscal year. A brief FY2023 spike to 7,298 removals (+70.3%) was immediately reversed in FY2024, which recorded the state’s lowest-ever figure of 3,639, just 9 deportations per 100,000 residents.
Trump vs Biden: California Enforcement Summary
| Metric | Trump (2017–20) | Biden (2021–24) | Change |
| Avg Annual Removals | 27,834 | 4,980 | -82.1% |
| Avg Population | 39,458,877 | 39,165,909 | -0.7% |
| Rate per 100K | 71 | 13 | -82.0% |
| National Rank (Volume) | #3 | #4 | ↓ 1 spot |
| National Rank (Per Capita) | #4 | #5 | ↓ 1 spot |
Every metric declined sharply between administrations. Average annual removals fell 82.1% while the per-capita rate dropped from 71 to 13 per 100,000, an 82.0% contraction. California also slipped one spot in both national volume and per-capita rankings, losing ground to Louisiana and Georgia respectively despite its massive immigrant population.
California vs Top Processing States
| State | Trump Avg | Biden Avg | Rate Trump | Rate Biden | % Change (Volume) |
| Texas | 119,461 | 49,269 | 415 | 162 | -58.8% |
| Arizona | 35,677 | 9,048 | 498 | 122 | -74.6% |
| California | 27,834 | 4,980 | 71 | 13 | -82.1% |
| Louisiana | 25,252 | 22,774 | 542 | 495 | -9.8% |
| Florida | 7,419 | 2,468 | 35 | 11 | -66.7% |
California’s 82.1% decline was the steepest among the five largest processing states and nearly matched New Mexico’s 86.6% collapse at the bottom of the scale. Louisiana’s comparatively modest 9.8% drop highlights how detention infrastructure, not state policy, sustains enforcement volume, while California’s sanctuary framework appears to have accelerated its departure from the top tier.
California’s Shrinking National Share
| Administration | California Avg | National Avg | CA Share |
| Trump (2017–20) | 27,834 | 231,145 | 12.0% |
| Biden (2021–24) | 4,980 | 93,205 | 5.3% |
California’s share of national ICE removals was more than halved, falling from 12.0% under Trump to 5.3% under Biden. The state that once handled one in every eight U.S. deportations now processes roughly one in nineteen, a redistribution of enforcement activity toward Texas and Louisiana, which together absorbed over 77% of Biden-era removals.
Peak-to-Trough: California Deportation Volatility
| Fiscal Year | ICE Removals | Change | % Change |
| FY2018 (Peak) | 33,116 | — | — |
| FY2024 (Trough) | 3,639 | -29,477 | -89.0% |
| FY2023 (Spike) | 7,298 | +3,012 vs FY2022 | +70.3% |
From the FY2018 peak of 33,116 to the FY2024 low of 3,639, California lost 89.0% of its deportation volume, an annualized decline of roughly 4,900 removals per year. The FY2023 spike of 70.3% proved to be an outlier rather than a trend reversal, with FY2024 erasing all gains and setting a new eight-year floor.
Methodology
This California-focused analysis examines ICE removal data from fiscal years 2017–2024, divided into the Trump administration (FY2017–FY2020) and Biden administration (FY2021–FY2024). Data was sourced from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse University. Population figures were drawn from U.S. Census Bureau annual estimates. Per-capita rates were calculated by dividing average annual California removals by average California population, then multiplying by 100,000. The analysis excludes CBP border expulsions, voluntary departures, and removals processed by other federal agencies.
Data Sources
ICE Removal Data: Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), Syracuse University: https://tracreports.org/phptools/immigration/remove/
Population Data: U.S. Census Bureau Annual Population Estimates: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest.html
Research Data: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Q52utrJo9zMtvrGyDONvSW88thMxCuXIwXlWcqBDH74/edit?gid=0#gid=0
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