U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has deported more than 2,000 individuals suspected of terrorism since January 2025. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released these figures to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
The 2,015 terrorists removed since January 2025
According to a report by Fox News Digital, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that ICE arrested more than 2,150 known or suspected terrorists between January 20, 2025, and September 9, 2026. Of those detained, 2,015 were successfully deported from the United States.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin framed these operations as a necessity for national security, stating that the personnel at ICE continue to perform their duties to protect the homeland. Mullin noted that the upcoming anniversary of the 2001 attacks serves as a reminder of the need for "eternal vigilance" in monitoring and removing threats from American soil.
Tom Homan's claim that 70% of detainees are criminals
Border czar Tom Homan has used these statistics to push back against progressive calls to abolish ICE . As reported by Fox News Digital, Homan emphasized that seventy percent of the individuals detained by the agency are convicted criminals, arguing that the agency is a critical line of defense against organized crime and terrorism.
Beyond counter-terrorism, Tom Homan highlighted the agency's humanitarian and enforcement reach, claiming that ICE has played a pivotal role in rescuing over 150,000 smuggled children. Homan warned that dismantling the agency would lead to dangerous consequences for border security and the safety of vulnerable populations.
A quarter-century of vigilance since the 2001 attacks
The timing of this announcement coincides with the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, a milestone that marks a generation of shifted U.S. security protocols. This aggressive posture toward the removal of "suspected" terrorists reflects a broader trend of prioritizing preemptive deportation over long-term detention or domestic prosecution.
Since 2001, the U.S. government has expanded the authorities of the Department of Homeland Security to identify threats before they can manifest into large-scale attacks. the recent surge in deportations suggests a renewed focus on clearing the domestic landscape of individuals who meet the government's criteria for suspected terrorist affiliation.
The missing data on 'suspected' vs 'known' terrorists
While the DHS figures are striking, the report leaves several critical questions unanswered. Specifically, the government has not provided a breakdown distinguishing between "known" terrorists—those with formal convictions or official designations—and "suspected" terrorists, whose status may be based on intelligence reports that are not public.
Furthermore, it remains unclear what specific evidence is used to categorize an individual as a "suspected terrorist" for the purpose of these statistics. Because the reporting relies entirely on DHS claims, there is no independent verification of whether these 2,015 deportations targeted active threats or individuals with tangential, low-level associations.
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