Number of Irish citizens deported from US up by more than 50%

Number of Irish citizens deported from US up by more than 50%

According to data released to BBC News NI, the number of Irish citizens deported from the United States has surged by more than 50% in 2025 compared to the previous year. The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unit reported that between January and September 2025, 99 Irish individuals were deported. This marks a significant increase from the 60 deportations that occurred between October 2023 and September 2024. A US immigration lawyer noted that this rise could be attributed to developments following President Donald Trump’s election.

Claire Doutre, an immigration attorney with McEntee Law, highlighted a concerning trend of heightened enforcement of immigration regulations affecting Irish citizens. She pointed out that individuals without criminal records who had been residing in the US for extended periods were facing detention and deportation, often due to visa overstay issues. In one specific case, an Irish citizen, Donna Hughes-Brown, faces deportation to Ireland after being convicted of fraud. Her husband, Jim Brown, deemed the crackdown on such individuals as “insane.”

The escalation in deportations has triggered concerns among the Irish community residing in the US, which accounts for over 100,000 individuals. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has noted a rise in requests for assistance related to deportation. Figures provided to BBC News NI revealed that 51 such requests were made between January and September 2025, compared to 15 in the previous year. The DFA has been actively engaging with affected individuals and providing guidance to navigate the deportation process.

Individuals facing deportation are subjected to stringent criteria set by US authorities, including participation in criminal activities, posing threats to public safety, or violating visa terms. Donna Hughes-Brown, an Irish citizen with a history of fraud convictions, is one such case. Despite residing in the US since childhood and holding a green card, she faces deportation for two incidents involving writing bad checks over a decade ago. These circumstances have ignited debates regarding the severity of enforcement actions taken against non-citizens and the impact on families like the Hughes-Browns

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