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About Global Migration
Understanding migration means seeing the people behind the policies and the stories beyond the headlines.
The content on this page is updated regularly.
Latest update: November 2025
In the last year alone:
- In 2024 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained 277, 913 people and in 2025 so far have detained 66,886 people in the U.S.
- In 2024, ICE expelled 271,484 people, and 71,405 people in 2025.
Source: ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Statistics | ICE
Detentions under the Current Administration
This administration has appropriated more money for immigration enforcement, which includes detention within the U.S. Earlier this year, there were around 39,000 detainees under ICE detention, but in late August, the number increased to 61,0000 detainees.
As of September 2025, 71% of all the detainees have NO criminal conviction.
Immigration Detention in the United States by Agency
Faith and Government Shelters in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua
As of August 2025, there are few migrants at the local shelters in Juarez. Around 250 are currently staying in the 12 local shelters run by the faith-based community. As for the federal shelter, Leona Vicario, it has at the moment approximately 170 (which used to normally host up to 900 guests). Thus, families and individuals are not arriving in Juárez at the same pace as they did earlier this year or years before.
Source: Abara’s Ciudad Juárez Team
New Fort Bliss Detention Center - Camp East Montana
There is a new detention center located in Fort Bliss, El Paso, TX, which will be the largest federal detention facility/center in the United States. It started operating on August 1st, 2025, and the initial capacity is 1000 beds with the ultimate goal to extend the capacity to 5000. Those held there will be there temporarily since they will be deported (U.S. Department of Defense, 2025).
Current conditions inside Camp East Montana (as of October 2025):
According to a new report done by ICE, there had already been 60 violations at this new detention center in Fort Bliss. These violations include lack of proper medical attention to detainees dealing with certain medical conditions; lack of proper and basic procedures to keep both guards and detainees safe; and detainees were not able to contact their lawyers for weeks. There are around 1400 detainees at the moment.
Sources:
Painting of the U.S.-Mexico Border Wall
Homeland Security Secretary announced on August 19, that the entire steel wall would be painted black. She stated that the color black would protect it from rust and to make it hotter for migrants to touch it, this is the effort to deter them from trying to cross over it.
As of October 1, 2025, there is a government shutdown in the U.S. This means that there is no funding available for most of the things and services that are run by the federal government agencies.
This will not negatively affect ICE nor border protection agencies, since recent legislation (one big beautiful bill act) appropriated millions of dollars to these agencies to expand their immigration enforcement. Therefore, they will continue to function as normal. As of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, most of their budget comes from the fees that they charge to immigrants applying for visas or other services. Thus, they will not be affected either.
However, according to the American Immigration Council (2025), the Immigration courts will be the ones that could be affected. This can be seen with the precedent back in 2019, with the government shutdown, where there were a lot of immigration cases that were rescheduled or to be put on hold. The cases that were put on hold were the ones deemed as “non-essential”, such as those that were qualified as “non-detained hearings”, of those immigrants who are not currently in custody.
Sources:
H.R. 1, known as the “ One Big Beautiful Bill” was signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 4, 2025.
One of the key provisions on this bill is to allocate an increased amount of funding to border security matters.
It will provide $170.7 billion in additional funding for immigration and border enforcement related activities to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its sub-agencies: ICE, CBP, and DOD.
Resources/Additional Resources:
The current administration has made agreements with countries across the world, such as El Salvador, Guatemala, and South Sudan. Some of the deportees in the U.S. are being sent to these third-country destinations. In June 23 2025, the Supreme Court just ruled in favor of the Trump Administration to continue with these expedited removals to these far-away countries, regardless if it denies due-process for deportees.
The current administration is working to get more agreements from other countries, especially in Africa, to receive deportees that are not citizens of that recipient country. Currently, Uganda’s government agreed to receive deportees from the U.S., however, they said that they prefer these to be from African origin.
According to the International Refugee Assistant Project- IRAP (2025):
- Around 350 migrants deported to Panama, including many of Asian, Middle Eastern, and African origin;
- 200 migrants deported to Costa Rica, including many of European, Asian, Middle Eastern, and African origin;
- Five migrants deported to eSwatini, all of Asian or Caribbean origin;
- Eight migrants deported to South Sudan, all but one of whom were of Asian, Caribbean, or Central American origin.
Sources:
‘The whole scheme stinks’: Ugandans question deal to take US deportees
Here’s Where Trump’s Deportations Are Sending Migrants
Here are the 3rd-countries where the Trump admin is deporting migrants
As of the end of 2024, the most recent reporting period (UNHCR), 123.2 million people had been forced to flee their homes globally due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or events seriously disturbing public order.
Among them were nearly 42.7 million refugees. In addition, there were 73.5 million people displaced within the borders of their own countries (IDPs) and 8.4 million asylum-seekers.
There are also 4.4 million stateless people, who have been denied a nationality and lack access to basic rights such as education, health care, employment and freedom of movement. (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)
3 failing solutions to Forced Displacement:
- RETURN home: But this requires that the causes of displacement have been resolved. The UN has identified over 30 protracted refugee producing situations in the world, the average duration of which is 26 years. Returning home is not an option for the vast majority of refugees and asylum seekers.
- INTEGRATE into their country of refuge: But nearly 9 of 10 refugees (86%) are hosted by developing nations that are economically and socially unable to absorb the number of people seeking refuge within their borders.
- RESETTLE to another country: But during an average year, less than 1% of the world's refugee population is resettled. Few countries are willing to help by offering resettlement options to those experiencing displacement.
* Source: International Association for Refugees - IAFR.org
Children account for 29% of the world’s population, but 40% of all forcibly displaced people are children. (UNHCR)
UNHCR estimates that 2.4 million children were born into refugee life between 2018 and 2024, equivalent to some 338,000 children per year. (UNHCR)
There are three commonly attempted solutions to forced displacement—but all have serious limitations:
- Return home – This requires resolution of the conditions that caused displacement. However, most refugee-producing situations last over 26 years, making return impossible for many.
- Integrate into the country of refuge – 86% of refugees are hosted by developing nations that often lack the capacity to provide sustainable integration.
- Resettle in another country – Fewer than 1% of the world’s refugees are resettled each year, due to limited global participation and political will.
Displacement and loss have deeply impacted children across the U.S. and Latin America:
- Along the U.S.–Mexico border, up to 67% of all children who lost a parent or caregiving grandparent identify as Hispanic.
- In states like Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, up to 57% of COVID-19 orphans identify as Black.
- In South Dakota, New Mexico, Montana, Oklahoma, and Arizona, the majority of COVID-19 orphans are Native American.
Stateless people are not recognized as citizens by any country. At least 4.3 million people are officially stateless, though the true number is likely much higher.
Abara describes migration as being driven by conflict, hope, and a future. People often migrate due to:
- Push factors: violence, poverty, persecution, or systemic injustice
- Pull factors: safety, opportunity, or family reunification
Migration is shaped by both personal realities and global systems—including unjust policies, economic interdependence, and misinformation. Few people want to leave their homeland, but many are forced to by circumstances beyond their control.
As described by scholar Sarah Quezada, migration often follows these paths:
- Blood – Family-based immigration
- Sweat – Employment-based immigration
- Tears – Refugee or asylee status
- Chance – Diversity visa lottery
Yes. Undocumented immigrants contribute around $11.74 billion annually in state and local taxes. The loss of undocumented labor would cost the U.S. economy an estimated $5 trillion over a decade.
Did you know that nearly half of Fortune 500 Companies were founded by immigrants or their children?
An increase in immigration over the 2021–2026 period boosts federal revenues as well as mandatory spending and interest on the debt in CBO’s baseline projections, lowering deficits, on net, by $0.9 trillion over the 2024–2034 period.
Sources:
Undocumented immigrants will boost economy, lower deficit, CBO says
More immigration means gains for U.S. economy, CBO says
- 65% of US adults believe that “violence in home country” is a major reason for why large numbers of migrants are seeking to enter at the border with Mexico. - PEW Research Center
- More than any other religious group, white evangelicals believe that the large migrant flow at the Southern border is contributing to more crime in the US (82%). White catholics (70%) and white non-evangelical protestants (69%) are the only other two religious groups in which the majority believe this to be true. - PEW Research Center
- Only 43% of Americans support increasing facilities for holding immigrants in the country illegally while they await decisions about deportation - PEW Research Center
- 59% of Americans disapprove of ending Temporary Protective Status (TPS) for those who already had it approved - PEW Research Center
- 61% of Americans disapprove of sending immigrants in the U.S. Illegally to a prison in El Salvador - PEW Research Center
- 78% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents approve of the administration’s approach to immigration, including 51% who strongly approve. Just 12% disapprove. In contrast, 81% of Democrats and Democratic leaners disapprove, with 63% strongly disapproving. Just 9% approve. - PEW Research Center
- Half of Americans say the administration’s approach to deporting immigrants who are living in the U.S. illegally is “too careless.” In June of 2025, about four-in-ten (39%) say the administration’s approach has been about right, while 9% say it’s been too careful. PEW Research Center
- As has long been the case, the majority of Americans (65%) say that there should be a way for undocumented immigrants to stay in the country legally, with 36% saying these immigrants should be eligible for citizenship if they meet certain requirements. PEW Research Center
- Today, 41% of Republicans and 89% of Democrats say there should be a way for undocumented immigrants to stay in the U.S. legally. In 2017, 61% of Republicans said this, as did 88% of Democrats. PEW Research Center
- The share of Republicans saying there should be a national effort to deport those in the country illegally has grown substantially over the last eight years – 56% say this in 2025, up from 34% in 2017. - PEW Research Center
- A 56% majority of Americans now favor expanding the wall along the U.S. border with Mexico, up from 46% in 2019. PEW Research Center
Top countries of origin for new U.S. immigrants as of 2025:
- Mexico: 23%
- India: 6%
- China: 5%
- Philippines: 4%
Check out this resource: https://homeishere.us/
Abara’s guide to sustainable advocacy practice: click here
World Relief’s Advocacy Guide 2025: click here
Pew Research: click here
FactCheck.org: click here
Hope Border Institute: click here
Migration Data Portal: click here
Migration Policy Institute: click here
National Immigration Forum: click here
The UN Refugee Agency: click here
We Choose Welcome: click here
World Migration Report: click here
World Relief: click here
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