Five charts that show the impact of Trump’s immigration policy in Pa. and N.J.

Deportations and asylum denials are on the rise in the Philadelphia region, according to data compiled by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC).

Since his return to the White House, the Trump administration has tightened immigration policies and expanded enforcement efforts across the country. Philadelphia, which calls itself a “welcoming city,” has been targeted by this crackdown and has faced an increase in ICE raids and arrests.

Here’s what the data show about immigration enforcement in the region.

From February to April of this year, 2,506 Pennsylvania residents were removed from the United States — an 81% increase from the average monthly rate during the last year of President Joe Biden’s administration. In the same period, New Jersey saw a 103% increase with the removal of 4,721 residents.

For many people in the Philadelphia region’s immigrant communities, fears of deportation have left them on edge. In May, nearly 20 people were arrested by ICE agents in Norristown. Last week, rumors of workplace raids circulated in the Italian Market neighborhood.

“It’s very stressful, because people don’t know if they should remain in the U.S., if it’s ok for them to go outside, whether they will come back home, what to tell their kids,” said Julio Rodriguez, political director of the Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition.

Across the country, removal orders have increased by 64%. Other cities have also seen a rise in arrests and raids, like Los Angeles where a wave of ICE operations has sparked days of protests and clashes with law enforcement.

Between February and April, 323 people from Philadelphia had new deportation cases filed against them—the largest amount, followed by Centre and Clearfield counties. In New Jersey, Essex, Hudson, and Union counties, all in the New York City area, had the most new cases.

Only 27% of the people in both states with new cases filed against them were represented by attorneys. According to TRAC, a non-profit that has been collecting immigration data since 1989, an expanding immigration court backlog has caused the demand for attorneys to rise and the average representation rates to fall.

Another barrier to representation is the cost which, according to Rodriguez, can amount to thousands of dollars. Without representation, immigrants appearing in court may face language barriers or struggle to respond to a case.

“Judges want to move as fast as possible, so if you don’t know what to say or do you could, by accident, get a deportation case lodged against you,” said Rodriguez.

Young people, aged 18 to 35, make up the bulk of Pennsylvania’s deportation cases since June last year. Rodriguez says ICE is likely targeting vulnerable populations.

“They may not have any connections to communities because they’re not parents, they’re not established,” he added. “As such, there may not be a big outcry since they don’t have these networks to support them.”

Children make up nearly a fifth of the new cases, 289 of which were between the ages of 0 and 4. According to immigration advocates, some families, fearing deportation, have chosen to pull their children out of school.

In April, asylum denials in Philadelphia increased by 121% compared to the average monthly rate during the last year of the Biden administration. Nationally, denials are up 146% over the same period.

Philadelphia Immigration Court, which handles local cases, falls under the purview of the U.S. Department of Justice.