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How many people were deported under Biden
Executive summary
Available reporting measures “deportations” in multiple ways—ICE “removals,” CBP expulsions/returns, and voluntary self-deports—so a single presidential total is not straightforward. Migration Policy reported roughly 4.4 million “repatriations” (deportations plus expulsions/returns) under the Biden administration through early 2025 [1]; ICE’s FY2024 removals figure cited elsewhere is about 272,000 removals [2].
1. How reporters and agencies define “deported” — words matter
Different official tallies count different things: ICE reports “removals” (formal deportations by ICE) while DHS and analysts sometimes combine those with CBP expulsions under Title 42, returns to Mexico or other countries, and voluntary self-deports—collectively called “repatriations” or “returns.” Migration Policy’s survey of Biden-era figures bundles deportations with expulsions and other actions and arrives at nearly 4.4 million repatriations [1]. USAFacts highlights that broader repatriation measures—including COVID-related expulsions—can produce much larger annual counts (citing 1.1 million in 2023 under broader definitions) [3].
2. ICE removals (formal deportations) during Biden’s term
Analysts point to ICE’s formal removals as the most conventional “deportation” metric; one summary cited Biden’s FY2024 removals at about 272,000 [2]. ICE’s own statistics pages remain the source for detailed removal data, but can be parsed differently (for example, daily averages, fiscal year totals, or by category) [4]. Available sources do not mention a single consolidated total of ICE removals for Biden’s entire term in the snippets provided; Migration Policy’s repatriation number includes many actions beyond ICE removals [1].
3. Broader counts inflate totals: expulsions, returns, and self‑deportation
Migration Policy’s nearly 4.4 million figure is a combined count of deportations, expulsions (including Title 42-era actions), and other returns—what it calls repatriations—making it larger than the narrower ICE removals metric [1]. DHS later administrations and press releases (from other administrations) have also presented combined numbers differently; for example, a DHS milestone in 2025 claimed “more than 400,000 deportations” and 1.6 million voluntary self-deports in a recent 250-day span, but that is a post‑Biden (Trump administration) announcement and uses its own category cuts [5]. Comparisons across administrations therefore require matching definitions [1].
4. Why totals rose: policy, expulsions, and diplomacy
Reporting attributes higher repatriation totals under Biden largely to border-focused enforcement and the use of expulsions/returns—especially during surges—rather than interior ICE arrests. Migration Policy notes that the administration shifted enforcement toward the border, where Title 42 and diplomatic arrangements with Mexico and other countries produced high return numbers [1]. BBC reporting echoed that improved diplomatic cooperation and policy changes increased the number of deportees countries accepted back, contributing to a Biden-era rise in repatriations [6].
5. Comparing Biden to Trump: apples, oranges, and daily averages
Comparisons between presidents are sensitive to methodology. TRAC and other trackers use daily removal averages to compare administrations; one TRAC summary emphasizes that daily averages can show different pictures than headline totals and warns against administration press claims that conflate categories [7]. KPBS noted deportations per weekday under Biden could be characterized around six per weekday in certain periods, and that Trump-era numbers were not uniformly higher when measured by deportation flights per weekday [8]. TRAC also flagged that DHS/White House claims can exaggerate by mismatching reporting windows and definitions [2].
6. Limitations, disagreements, and what’s not in these sources
Available sources disagree over which metric best answers “How many people were deported under Biden.” Migration Policy’s 4.4 million repatriations [1] and ICE’s FY2024 removals of roughly 272,000 [2] tell different stories depending on inclusion criteria. Sources provided do not give a single, consolidated ICE removal total for Biden’s entire presidency in the snippets shown; nor do they reconcile voluntary self-deports vs. forced removals into one standardized number [1] [4] [3].
7. Bottom line for a concise answer
If you mean “all repatriations (deportations + expulsions/returns)” many analysts put the Biden-era total in the millions—Migration Policy’s nearly 4.4 million is the clearest use of that broad definition [1]. If you mean formal ICE “removals,” the figure is much smaller: reporting cites about 272,000 removals in FY2024 as a key benchmark and ICE’s statistics pages are the primary source for removal totals [2] [4]. Choose the definition you want to use; the numbers change accordingly.