Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
How many deportations occurred each year under the Trump administration (2017–2020) versus the Obama and Biden administrations?
Executive summary
Available reporting shows substantial disagreement about totals because different outlets count different categories (DHS “removals” vs. “returns/expulsions” vs. self‑deportations). Major summaries: several outlets report roughly 1.2–1.4 million formal removals during Trump’s 2017–2020 term (with additional border “turn‑backs” or expulsions not always counted) while Obama’s cumulative removals are often reported in the millions (e.g., ~5.3 million across two terms in one piece) and Biden-era removals/returns have outpaced Trump in some recent years, with Biden removals reaching decade highs in FY2024 (around 329,000–329k reported) [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. The counting problem: “removals,” “returns,” and expulsions
Journalists and analysts use multiple DHS categories that are not interchangeable: “removals” (formal deportation orders executed), “returns” or “voluntary returns” (people turned back at the border or who depart without a removal order), and Title 42 expulsions (public‑health expulsions used heavily in the Biden years). Many headlines that compare presidents mix these categories, producing widely different totals [1] [5] [6]. Available sources do not present a single, universally accepted year‑by‑year table covering 2017–2024; reporters rely on DHS releases and aggregated datasets that classify actions differently [5] [3].
2. What some outlets report for Trump (2017–2020)
The Independent reports approximately 1.2 million people were deported through removal orders during Trump’s term, plus about 805,770 who were “self‑deported or turned away at the border” between fiscal years 2017 and 2020—an explicit split between removals and border‑related departures [1]. Other outlets cite higher or lower totals depending on whether they include Title 42 expulsions or administrative returns; Newsweek’s summary claims Trump “oversaw 2.1 million removals” in his first term, which conflicts with the Independent’s figure because of differing inclusion criteria [2] [1].
3. Obama’s deportations: larger cumulative totals but context matters
Multiple sources note that Obama’s presidencies involved large cumulative removals. Newsweek states Obama oversaw about 5.3 million removals across two terms (a multi‑term aggregate), while historical DHS peaks (e.g., FY2013 at ~432,000 removals) are cited as benchmarks for Obama‑era enforcement [2] [3]. The Conversation and CNN emphasize that Obama’s enforcement strategy prioritized certain categories (criminal convictions at high rates in some years), which changes how one interprets raw counts compared with later administrations [7] [8].
4. Biden-era numbers and the surge in “returns”
Reporting finds Biden-era enforcement has produced large totals—often driven by border returns and expulsions rather than interior removals. The Migration Policy Institute and The Guardian note the Biden administration’s deportation/return strategy produced record high annual tallies in recent years, with ICE removing roughly 329,000 people in FY2024—the highest since 2014—and the administration carrying out many voluntary returns and Title 42 expulsions earlier in the term [5] [4]. The Independent and Anadolu pieces also report Biden-era repatriations in the millions when counting expulsions and returns, which can exceed Trump’s totals depending on inclusion rules [1] [9].
5. Year‑by‑year comparison: what we can and cannot state from available sources
Available sources do not present a consistent, source‑wide year‑by‑year table for 2017–2020 versus 2009–2016 and 2021–2024 using identical definitions. Where year‑by‑year figures are cited: ABC7 and The Guardian give examples—Trump’s busiest year is cited as FY2019 with roughly 267,000–347,000 removals depending on reporting; Biden’s FY2024 is cited around 329,000 removals [3] [4]. But national aggregates for entire presidencies vary widely among outlets because of differing inclusion of returns, self‑deportations, and expulsions [1] [2].
6. Competing interpretations and political framing
News organizations highlight two competing narratives: critics of Obama and Biden emphasize high totals as “deporter” claims, while defenders point to prioritization policies (targeting criminals) and the role of voluntary returns/Title 42 in later totals [8] [5]. Proponents of stricter enforcement point to recent increases under Biden and Trump (arrests and removal flights), while advocates for immigrants stress that raw removal counts obscure who was targeted and whether returns were voluntary or coercive [10] [11].
7. How to get the clearest comparison
For a precise year‑by‑year comparison you should consult the Department of Homeland Security’s removal and return tables and request consistent filtering (e.g., only “formal removals” per fiscal year) or a trusted database that documents which categories it includes. Current reporting shows Trump’s formal removals in 2017–2020 concentrated around ~1.2–1.4 million by some counts (plus border returns), Obama’s multi‑term removals in the multiple‑millions, and Biden posting very high annual totals in the early 2020s—especially when returns/expulsions are included—but the exact year‑by‑year numbers depend on the definition used [1] [2] [4].