Sunday, Jul 19, 2026

Were there zero releases into the United States for a year under Trump, as Secretary Markwayne Mullin claimed?

Though the Department of Homeland Security has self-reported zero releases of non-U.S. nationals since May 2025, immigration data from TRAC suggests that the number of aliens released rather than detained, despite significant decreases, remains more than 500 per month.

From May 2025 to May 2026, 6,524 individuals facing charges for entry without inspection, including those apprehended at a port of entry and those apprehended within the country, were released. Another 1,542 were intercepted attempting EWI during that time.

DHS is generally required to detain aliens who appear subject to removal, including those who have not been legally admitted or paroled into the United States.

Though a number of circumstances may constitute a release, releases are not to be confused with humanitarian paroles, despite Mullin prefacing his claim with another that exaggerates the number of such paroles under the Biden Administration. Those currently average 20,000 per month.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Trump administration delivers 13 straight months of zero releases at the border
TRAC Reports New Proceedings Filed in Immigration Court
TRAC Reports Stopping "Inadmissibles" at U.S. Ports of Entry
Congress.gov Immigration Detention: A Legal Overview
Oklahoma Watch Were 150,000 – 250,000 noncitizens paroled into the United States per week under the Biden Administration?

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Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by newsrooms in the Gigafact network.

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