Census Bureau announces ‘negative net-migration,’ as DHS cites 3 million illegal immigrants deported

The Census Bureau reports the U.S. is experiencing negative net migration for the first time in decades, meaning more people are leaving the country than entering. This represents a significant demographic shift attributed to immigration enforcement policies.

The U.S. population grew by only 0.5% (1.8 million people) between July 2024-2025, the slowest growth rate since the coronavirus pandemic when growth was 0.2%. This contrasts sharply with the 1% growth in Biden's final year.

DHS claims nearly 3 million illegal immigrants have left under Trump's administration, with Secretary Noem previously citing 1.6 million departures within the first 200 days. Supporters suggest both deportations and self-deportations contribute to these figures.

Nearly every state experienced slowing population growth or accelerating population decline, with only West Virginia and Montana as exceptions. South Carolina emerged as the fastest-growing state with over 66,000 net domestic migration increase.