Fact check: How many people were deported by Biden

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available analyses, the Biden administration carried out approximately 1.5 million deportations from FY 2021 to FY 2024, with most deportations originating from the border ^[1]. This represents the most comprehensive figure available across all sources analyzed.

Additional data points provide context for Biden's deportation rates:

• During FY 2024, the daily average of removals was 742 people per day ^[2]
• In Biden's last full year in office, the monthly average was 57,000 removals and returns, implying approximately 684,000 deportations in that final year alone ^[3]
• From February to April 2024, the Biden administration averaged 12,660 deportations per month ^[4]

The data shows that Biden's deportation operations were primarily border-focused rather than interior enforcement, with removal statistics including returns, voluntary returns, and voluntary departures ^[5].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks several critical pieces of context that would provide a more complete picture:

Comparative Analysis Missing: The analyses reveal that Biden's deportation rates were actually higher than Trump's in certain periods. Trump's administration is currently deporting people at a slower rate than Biden's last year in office ^[3], with Trump's daily removal average being lower than Biden's 742 daily average ^[2].

Enforcement Strategy Differences: Under Biden, 53% of nearly 51,000 ICE arrests were of convicted criminals, compared to 40% of nearly 112,000 arrests under Trump ^[6]. This suggests different prioritization strategies between administrations.

Policy Context Omitted: The question doesn't acknowledge that Biden simultaneously extended legal status for nearly 1 million immigrants through programs like Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from El Salvador, Sudan, Ukraine, and Venezuela ^[7]. This dual approach of enforcement alongside humanitarian protections represents a more nuanced immigration policy.

Current Political Dynamics: The Trump administration has announced plans to end the broad abuse of humanitarian parole and return it to a case-by-case basis ^[8], indicating that deportation numbers will likely change significantly under the new administration.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question, while factually neutral, lacks important comparative context that could lead to misunderstanding:

Implicit Framing: By asking only about Biden's deportation numbers without comparative context, the question may inadvertently suggest that Biden was lenient on immigration enforcement, when data shows his administration maintained substantial deportation operations ^[1].

Missing Timeline Specificity: The question doesn't specify whether it seeks total deportations across Biden's entire term or annual averages, which could lead to misleading interpretations of the 1.5 million figure.

Omission of Policy Complexity: The question ignores the dual nature of Biden's immigration approach - high deportation numbers alongside expanded humanitarian protections - which provides a more accurate picture of his administration's immigration legacy ^{[7] [1]}.

Current Political Context: Given that these analyses appear to be from the early Trump administration period, the question may be politically motivated to contrast Biden's record with Trump's current policies, particularly regarding the 400% spike in ICE detainers in sanctuary cities like NYC ^[9].