According to analysts, the number of people leaving this year is likely to increase. At the same time, they emphasize that official figures may not fully reflect the real situation, as they do not account for all those who have left.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 675,000 people were deported in 2025, while another 2.2 million "self-deported." Additionally, WSJ reports that at least 180,000 Americans who moved to 15 other countries can be added to these figures.
The total number of migrants arriving in the U.S. in 2025 was between 2.6 and 2.7 million people, significantly lower than the record of 6 million recorded in 2023. Strict immigration policy became one of the key characteristics of Donald Trump's administration during his second presidential term.
Among the countries where Americans are heading, WSJ highlights nations in South America and Europe. According to the publication, the number of Americans choosing to live and work in EU countries has reached record levels and continues to grow. There is also an increase in the number of requests for renunciation of U.S. citizenship: in 2024, the number of such applications increased by 48%, according to immigration companies.
Census statistics show that the last time the U.S. experienced such an outflow of citizens was in 1935, when many left for the Soviet Union, as noted in the article.
WSJ links the current situation to the policies of the Trump administration. The reasons for this phenomenon are not only economic factors but also the general perception of quality of life, including disillusionment with the country's development, the publication notes.
A White House representative commented on the article, stating that the U.S. economy is significantly outpacing other developed countries. The Trump administration's policy involved the deportation of hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants and attracting "many foreign citizens with high incomes" willing to pay $1 million for a "golden card" to move to the U.S.
