Project Overview
The U.S. deportation system is notoriously opaque. This living investigation seeks to answer fundamental questions: How are deportation decisions really made? What patterns and biases define who is deported, and why? By analyzing thousands of official enforcement records, we are working to expose the systemic flaws in a process that is too often hidden from public view. As we uncover verifiable insights, we will publish them here.
We’re using a combination of public and FOIA-obtained sources, including:
TRAC (Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse) deportation data
ICE apprehension and removal statistics
I-213 forms (Record of Deportable/Inadmissible Alien)
Immigration court records
Department of Homeland Security enforcement data
How AI Helps:
We use AI tools to:
Read and categorize thousands of pages of bureaucratic text instantly.
Identify boilerplate language used to justify removals.
Flag records with missing or inconsistent legal reasoning.
Surface non-obvious trends across geography, charges, and outcomes.
All AI-driven insights are rigorously reviewed and verified by our human research team.
Deportation isn't just a policy—it’s a decision that can destroy families, uproot lives, and violate basic rights.
And yet, the systems behind those decisions are largely hidden from the people they affect.
This project aligns with our mission:
To use AI as a tool for public clarity, not control.
To make complex systems visible—and hold them accountable.
Data Sources
DeportationData.org
Our primary source for nationwide, case-level deportation records.
[Link to the DeportationData.org homepage]
University of Washington Center for Human Rights (UWCHR)
Our methodological approach is informed by the narrative analysis in their groundbreaking report on I-213 forms.
[Link to the UWCHR project/report page]
Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC)
A research center at Syracuse University providing essential historical context and data on U.S. federal immigration enforcement.
[Link to the TRAC Immigration project homepage]