Deportations of Irish citizens from the United States have increased sharply in 2025, with immigration attorneys attributing the rise to stricter enforcement under the Trump administration.
The Numbers
Between January and September 2025, 99 Irish citizens were deported from the US—a more than 50% increase compared to the 60 deportations during the previous fiscal year (October 2023-September 2024), according to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data obtained by BBC News NI.
The trend shows a steady escalation over recent years:
- 2023: 37 deportations
- 2022: 17 deportations
- 2021: 10 deportations
- 2020: 19 deportations
Requests for deportation assistance from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs have similarly spiked, jumping from 15 in 2024 to 51 between January and September 2025.
Changing Enforcement Landscape
Claire Doutre, an immigration attorney with McEntee Law, says the enforcement climate has shifted dramatically. “The biggest change is that we are seeing a lot more people without criminal backgrounds, who have been here for years, getting detained,” she explained.
Many of those being deported entered the US legally but overstayed their visas. “Everybody is at risk right now,” Doutre warned.
An ICE spokesperson stated that “individuals who are in the US lawfully and have not violated immigration laws or committed crimes have no reason to fear enforcement actions.”
A Personal Cost
The human impact of stricter enforcement is illustrated by the case of Donna Hughes-Brown, an Irish citizen who has lived in the US since childhood and holds a green card.
Her husband, Jim Brown, a 20-year US Navy veteran who served in the Gulf War, described the situation as “insane.” His wife faces deportation to Ireland—a country she hasn’t lived in since she was a child—due to two fraud convictions from over a decade ago involving bad checks for $49 and $22.
“She was trying to survive,” Brown said of the incidents in 2012 and 2015, explaining his wife couldn’t afford to feed her family at the time. “They keep talking about all the bad people. Donna is not that person. Yes, she’s made mistakes, but who hasn’t.”
Hughes-Brown has been detained in an ICE facility for 90 days. Her husband criticized the conditions there, claiming inadequate food, unmet medical needs, and unsanitary facilities. He said his wife was denied necessary medication.
ICE Response
ICE confirmed that Hughes-Brown was arrested during secondary inspection when re-entering the US in July due to her criminal history. The agency stated it is “prioritizing the removal of criminal alien offenders who pose a threat to public safety and the rule of law.”
A senior Department of Homeland Security official defended detention conditions, stating ICE has “among the highest detention standards” in the US, with proper meals, medical treatment, and communication access provided to all detainees.
Legal Challenges
Attorney Doutre said obtaining bail for ICE detainees has become “practically impossible” and expects enforcement to intensify further.
Her advice to clients has become more urgent: “There’s no room for error. Every case is so scrutinized that we really need people to go in prepared. Once you’re in detention, it is really hard to work on your case.”
According to US government information, authorities can detain and potentially deport non-citizens who participate in criminal activity, are considered threats to public safety, or violate their visas. Lawful permanent residents with certain criminal convictions may be found inadmissible at ports of entry and subject to mandatory detention.
An estimated 100,000 Irish citizens currently live in the United States.
