A prevailing view in some circles that the Irish are being given a pass during the Trump administration's campaign to deport anyone and everyone who is undocumented/illegal in the United States is being refuted by numbers issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Between January and September of this year, 99 Irish people were deported, this according to statistics from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement given to BBC Northern Ireland.
At first glance this might not seem like a big number. But it is an increase of more than 50% in the first nine months of 2025 compared to 60 deportations between October 2023 and September 2024, that period being the fiscal year.
According to the BBC account the latest deportation figure for Irish nationals far exceeds the totals in recent fiscal years.
Those totals were: 2023: 37; 2022: 17; 2021: 10 and 2020: 19.
A spokesperson for ICE said: "Individuals who are in the US lawfully and have not violated immigration laws or committed crimes have no reason to fear enforcement actions."
Claire Doutre, an immigration attorney with McEntee Law in Chicago, told BBC NI that many people were now facing more intense enforcement of immigration law, including Irish citizens.
"The biggest change is that we are seeing a lot more people without criminal backgrounds, who have been here for years, getting detained," she said.
"Everybody is at risk right now," Doutre said.
Added the BBC report: "She (Doutre) said it had become "practically impossible" for those detained by ICE to obtain bail.
Ms. Doutre also said detainees are often kept at facilities with "deplorable" conditions.
She added that she expects ICE enforcement to intensify, and that the advice she and her colleagues offer to clients has changed.
"There's no room for error. Every case is so scrutinised that we really need people to go in prepared.
"Once you're in detention, it is really hard to work on your case. My advice right now is line up an attorney, prepare your case ahead of time, and get all your evidence ready."
Attorney Doutre's assertion of "deplorable" conditions in ICE detention centers have been backed up in many news reports.
ICE, however, takes issue with this.
As per the BBC report: "A senior official at the Department for Homeland Security (DHS) said ICE have "among the highest detention standards" in the U.S.
"All detainees are provided with proper meals, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with lawyers and their family members."
The statement added that ICE provides "comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody", and that "meals are certified by dieticians."
"Ensuring the safety, security, and wellbeing of individuals in our custody is a top priority at ICE."
But then there is this from an NPR report: "Immigration and Customs Enforcement has recorded its deadliest year since the early 2000s as agency officials push to increase the number of people in its custody.
"According to a review of deaths by NPR, at least 20 people have died in ICE custody so far this year. The number comes as ICE is also holding nearly 60,000 people in immigration detention, the highest number in several years."
With regard to Irish deportations, it is a fair assumption that the total would be higher but for the fact that, in contrast to past decades, the undocumented Irish in the 2020s tend to be more dispersed rather than concentrated in specific neighborhoods that could be targeted by ICE raids.
