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How has Biden's immigration policy affected deportation totals?
Executive summary
Biden-era enforcement produced high totals driven largely by returns and expulsions rather than formal removals: government and analysts report roughly 271,000–272,000 ICE removals in FY2024 and millions of “repatriations/returns/expulsions” when border Title 42 and voluntary returns are counted [1] [2] [3]. Analysts disagree about whether Biden’s policy raised interior removals or mainly shifted the mix toward administrative/expedited returns; some outlets emphasize record single-year totals while others stress that many were voluntary returns or Title 42 expulsions rather than traditional removals [2] [4] [5].
1. Biden’s totals: high headline numbers, different categories
Under Biden, official ICE/DHS totals include several different notions of “deportation” — formal removals ordered after due process, voluntary returns, and Title 42 expulsions — and that mix explains why single-year and cumulative figures are large. TRAC and other trackers report ICE removals at about 271,000–272,000 in FY2024 (formal removals) while Migration Policy and press accounts note millions of repatriations when expulsions/returns and border-driven repatriations are added [1] [2] [3].
2. Role of returns and Title 42-era expulsions
Much of the high repatriation count under Biden mirrors earlier administrations’ reliance on returns and expulsions: Migration Policy highlights that during prior high-arrival eras the U.S. relied on returns (administrative or enforcement) that dwarf formal removals, and states that Title 42 expulsions under Biden produced large repatriation numbers though they did not produce lasting reductions in unauthorized migration [4]. ICE’s published data also documents Title 42 expulsions via charter flights and notes administrative distinctions in reporting [5] [4].
3. Interior enforcement versus border-focused actions — experts disagree
Some analysts and news outlets frame Biden’s record as a marked increase in removals from U.S. communities (interior removals), while others argue that much of the numerical growth is border-related encounters and voluntary returns. TRAC’s analyses caution against simple comparisons and show FY2024 daily removal averages (about 742/day) that complicate claims about who was targeted and where removals occurred [6] [1]. Migration Policy and TRAC both emphasize the need to parse enforcement categories before drawing conclusions [4] [6].
4. Counting methods shape political narratives
Different organizations and administrations emphasize different metrics to advance narratives: government press releases highlight headline removal counts in short windows (as seen in early 2025 statements), advocacy and research groups stress apples‑to‑apples fiscal-year comparisons, and media outlets may report cumulative repatriations that combine removals, expulsions, and returns — producing divergent impressions of Biden’s record [7] [1] [2].
5. Comparative framing: Biden vs. Trump (and other presidencies)
Comparisons to prior presidencies vary by metric. Some outlets report Biden oversaw more repatriations than Trump’s first term when expulsions and returns are included, while TRAC shows FY2024 removal totals exceeded or were comparable to early Trump-period removal rates depending on the days chosen for comparison [3] [1] [6]. Migration Policy notes that resumption of high-return approaches resembles Clinton and G.W. Bush-era patterns, underlining continuity across administrations in some enforcement tools [4].
6. Where sources agree and where they differ
Sources agree that FY2024 produced large numbers (roughly 271k–272k formal ICE removals) and that returns/expulsions substantially add to repatriation counts [1] [2] [5]. They differ on interpretation: some frame Biden as having overseen record deportation activity when counting expulsions/returns [3], while TRAC and other analysts warn that media and governmental short-term claims can mislead without consistent, fiscal‑year, apples‑to‑apples metrics [6] [1].
7. Takeaway and reporting limits
Available sources show Biden-era deportation totals are high but hinge on counting conventions: formal ICE removals (~271k FY2024) versus broader repatriations/expulsions that run into the millions when Title 42, voluntary returns, and border expulsions are included [1] [2] [4]. Current reporting does not settle normative questions about effectiveness or justice — those require separate sources and legal/policy analyses not included in these documents. Sources also note the practical consequence that mixed counting complicates public comparisons across presidencies and fuels competing political narratives [6] [7].