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The United States was reported to have experienced a negative net migration for the first time in 50 years, according to a report released by the Brookings Institution on Tuesday (January 13).
"We estimate net flows of -295,000 to -10,000 for the year," the study stated. "Though a high degree of policy uncertainty remains, continued negative net migration for 2026 is also likely."
The significant drop came amid President Donald Trump's administration's crackdown on immigration, which has become a polarizing topic on both ends of the political spectrum given aggressive removal efforts. The significant shift in numbers was reported amid a large drop in entries combined with an increase on enforcement, which has resulted in both deportation and voluntary departures from the U.S.
The report also cited the Trump administration's suspension of several humanitarian programs and a decline in temporary visas as factors for the negative net migration. An estimated range of 310,000 to 315,000 removals were reported in 2025, which is lower than the 600,000 claimed by the Department of Homeland Security in the past.
"At 310,000 to 315,000, the 2025 removals are not much higher than the 2024 removals of around 285,000," the report states.
Additionally, most of the removals in 2025 were initiated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection working from the interior, rather than U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The report also predicted that more removals would take place in 2026 with funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act as it will "likely allow for increased infrastructure and staffing to achieve a higher level of enforcement."