U.S. Deports Record 468 Nepalis in 2025, Highest Ever in a Single Year

A record 468 Nepali nationals were deported from the United States in 2025, marking the highest number of deportations in a single year to date, according to immigration records. This figure is more than four times the total number of Nepalis deported during the entire Biden administration and even surpasses the total during the previous Trump administration.

During President Biden’s four-year term, a total of 110 Nepalis were deported, whereas nearly 350 were deported under Trump’s first term. By contrast, the 2025 figure alone far exceeds both administrations’ totals combined.

Data from recent fiscal years show a sharp upward trend. In fiscal year (FY) 2021, 23 Nepalis were deported, followed by 28 in FY 2022, 22 in FY 2023, and nearly 50 in FY 2024. Biden had assumed office in 2021, and that year, seven Nepalis were deported via a chartered flight. Deportations surged at the end of Trump’s previous term, with 97 Nepalis deported in FY 2020, 162 in FY 2019, and 45 each in FY 2018 and FY 2017. Earlier figures show 25 deportations in FY 2016, 23 in FY 2015, and 44 in FY 2014.

December Sets Record with 98 Nepalis Deported

December 2025 alone recorded 98 deportations — the highest monthly total ever. According to the Department of Immigration at Tribhuvan International Airport, among those deported, 92 were men and six were women. The sharp rise followed a December charter flight that repatriated 75 Nepalis, with another 23 deported throughout the month.

November 2025 also saw a significant total, with 80 deportations (78 men and two women). Earlier that year, 38 were deported in October, 53 in September, 42 in June, 58 in May, 26 in April, 32 in March, 18 in February, and six in January — making January, February, and July the months with comparatively fewer deportations.

With the start of President Trump’s second term, U.S. authorities have tightened enforcement of immigration laws, particularly targeting undocumented residents. This shift has placed a growing number of Nepali nationals at heightened risk of deportation.

Once deported, individuals are typically handed over to Nepal’s Department of Immigration, which refers their cases to the Human Trafficking Bureau for preliminary investigation. While most returnees are released into family custody after brief questioning, officials say more thorough investigations proceed if formal complaints are filed.

Embassy Issued 407 Travel Documents in 2025

The Government of Nepal continues to facilitate deportations by accepting its citizens without resistance. The Nepali Embassy in Washington, D.C., plays a pivotal role in this process, issuing travel documents upon request from U.S. immigration authorities.

According to the Nepali Embassy in Washington, D.C., travel documents were issued for 394 Nepalis deported from the U.S. in 2025. The documents were prepared in response to requests from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Among them, 368 were men and 26 were women, embassy officials told NepYork.

In total, the embassy issued 407 travel documents between January and December 2025, with most — 394 — prepared for Nepalis deported by ICE, said embassy spokesperson Aruna Ghising. The embassy also provided travel documents to Nepalis who reached U.S. borders through third countries but were denied entry and required to return to Nepal.

These included nine individuals (eight men and one woman) from Panama, three (two men and one woman) from Mexico, and two men from Costa Rica.

Officials explained that ICE requests these documents for Nepali nationals lacking valid passports or legal paperwork prior to deportation. Additionally, the embassy issues travel papers for other Nepalis who need to return home but do not have valid passports.