What years had the highest deportation totals in US history and which presidents were in office?
Executive summary
The single highest recorded annual total of formal removals (what U.S. agencies call "removals" or commonly "deportations") in recent decades was fiscal year (FY) 2013, when the Obama administration oversaw about 438,421 removals, according to Pew Research summarizing DHS data [1]. Multiple analyses also identify the Obama presidency (2009–2016) as the period with the largest cumulative removals—roughly 2.7–3.0 million over eight years—while more recent years under Biden and the early months of Trump’s second term saw large but contested totals [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. The headline: 2013 was the single-year peak in modern records
Government and research reporting show FY2013 as the single highest year in recent U.S. history for deportations/removals, with about 438,421 removals during that fiscal year under President Barack Obama [1]. That fiscal-year spike is the clearest single-year data point available in the provided sources [1].
2. Cumulative totals make Obama the “largest deporter” in recent decades
Analysts who aggregate fiscal-year removals report Barack Obama’s two terms produced the largest cumulative removals in recent history—roughly 2.7–3.0 million removals over eight years—leading some outlets to label his presidency as having the most deportations in the last three decades [2] [5]. Pew and other researchers underline that the Obama era combined high border returns and interior removals into large totals [1] [5].
3. Methodology matters: “removals,” “returns,” and “self‑deportations” are often mixed
Sources repeatedly warn that comparisons depend on definitions and methodology. DHS and ICE use “removals” (formal orders) while other tallies also include returns at the border, expedited removals, reinstatements, and voluntary or “self‑deportations.” That aggregation inflates comparability problems across years and administrations [1] [6] [7]. The Heritage Foundation noted inconsistent accounting across recent DHS statements and media briefings, cautioning that shifts in categorization explain apparent jumps [7].
4. Recent years: Biden and Trump (first and second terms) shifted the pattern
ICE reported more than 271,000 removals in FY2024 under President Joe Biden, a level noted as a recent high under his administration [3]. Reporting from 2025 shows sharp increases in ICE arrests and removals under President Donald Trump’s second term, with DHS and ICE releasing preliminary totals and claims—some counting over 200,000 removals in short spans and DHS press releases stating large totals including voluntary departures—though independent analysts flagged inconsistencies and methodological changes in those counts [8] [6] [9] [7] [10].
5. Disagreement among reputable sources about 2024–2025 totals
While DHS press releases in 2025 claimed very large numbers—millions leaving or self‑deporting and half‑million-plus deportations—others (Reuters, The Guardian, Stateline, Migration Policy Institute, and Heritage) point to more modest statutory removals and note reporting changes and timing/carryover effects that complicate year‑to‑year comparisons [8] [11] [6] [12] [7] [13]. For example, Stateline estimated about 340,000 deportations in FY2025 and noted FY2024 had about 685,000 total deportations when including returns; these mixed metrics show divergent tallies depending on inclusion criteria [13].
6. Historical context: the 1950s comparison and why it’s tricky
Advocates and officials sometimes compare modern operations to Eisenhower’s 1954 “Operation Wetback” era; analysts and historians say such cross‑era comparisons are fraught because recordkeeping, legal categories, and types of removals (formal vs. summary returns) differ greatly across decades [7]. Heritage and academic sources emphasize that changes in methods and pandemic‑era policies (e.g., Title 42) further distort trend lines [7] [14].
7. What to watch: data locking and independent audits
ICE notes that its publicly posted data can change until a fiscal year is “locked,” and other DHS offices publish monthly enforcement tables and caveats about methodology—so final year‑end authoritative tallies can shift after preliminary press statements [4] [15]. Independent outlets (The Guardian, Reuters, Stateline, Migration Policy Institute) have used FOIA and archival scraping to reconcile releases; those efforts are essential to resolve discrepancies [11] [10] [13].
Limitations and open questions: available sources do not mention a definitive, single multi‑decade ranked list of "highest deportation years" that reconciles every methodology. For precise, locked fiscal-year counts and administrative attribution beyond the summaries cited here, consult the ICE statistics page and DHS monthly tables, and be alert to changes in inclusion rules when agencies issue public tallies [4] [15].