WASHINGTON, DC, United States (CMC) — The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency says over the past year it has returned more than 742,000 individuals, the vast majority of whom crossed the south-west border of the United States, including more than 111,000 individual family members.

Additionally, between May 27 and May 30 it facilitated flights of single adults and families to Jamaica, Colombia, Ecuador.

“If a non-citizen arrives and has no legal basis to remain in the United States, they are processed and removed quickly, consistent with US law,” said ICE, which is an agency of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that works in close coordination with US Customs and Border Protection.

ICE said total removals and returns since mid-May exceed removals and returns in every full fiscal year since 2011.

“In keeping with standard practice, the United States ensures that all non-citizens without a legal basis to remain in the United States are properly screened for valid protection claims and withholding of removal in accordance with our laws and US international obligations,” ICE said.

“This applies to all non-citizens, regardless of nationality, to ensure the orderly and humane processing, transfer, and removal of single adults and family units,” it added.

ICE said its air operations facilitates the transfer and removal of non-citizens, including family units, via commercial airlines and chartered flights, in support of its field offices and other DHS initiatives.

In fiscal year 2023 ICE said its enforcement and removal operations conducted 142,580 removals and 62,545 Title 42 expulsions to more than 170 countries worldwide.