Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, IMMIGRATION NEWS—As agricultural labor supply remains uncertain, DHS says more than 2.5 million ‘illegal aliens’ have left U.S., (Dec 11, 2025)

By Jason Albright, J.D.

A DHS press release additionally claims that “1.9 million illegal aliens have voluntarily self-deported since January 2025.”

In the face of agricultural labor supply issues that one industry leader reportedly described this week as “a practical matter, not just for farmers and ranchers but for our society,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced yesterday its “historic progress in securing the homeland, highlighting a year of record-breaking achievement of more than 2.5 million illegal aliens leaving the U.S.”

Deportations. Since President Trump’s inauguration on January 20, DHS claims its immigration enforcement operations have resulted in more than 605,000 deportations. The agency further asserts that it “has prioritized removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens as part of the Trump Administration’s efforts to return law and order to the United States.”

Voluntary departures. Of the 2.5 million individuals the agency says have left the U.S., “1.9 million illegal aliens have voluntarily self-deported since January 2025,” the agency stated.

CPB mobile app and “a free flight home.” “We encourage all illegal aliens to use the CBP Home app to get a free flight home for Christmas and $1,000,” the agency added.

Impacts? DHS asserts that a “rapid decline in the illegal immigrant population is already being felt nationwide, from reduced strain on public services to a resurgence in local job markets.”

Agricultural industry concerns. Meanwhile, the agricultural industry publication Brownfield Ag News reported yesterday that Joby Young, Executive Vice President of the agricultural lobbying organization American Farm Bureau, is concerned about finding a way “to allow more foreign labor visas.”

According to Young, a large number of U.S. farm workers are undocumented. “A lot of reports and studies, those are estimates that it can be as high as almost 40% of the agricultural workforce, and so that’s an issue that’s as a practical matter, not just for farmers and ranchers but for our society.”

Food supply chain. Young told Brownfield that the American Farm Bureau has been pushing for Congress to solve the labor visa problem in a way that does not interrupt the agricultural and food supply chain.

Critical role of labor. According to Young, “We saw in COVID, product being plowed under when it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables. We saw milk being dumped. We saw all of these things that kind of spilled out from these supply chain disruptions, so as we all know, labor is a critical piece of the supply chain and we have to find solutions that account for that.”

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