Fact check: How did Biden's first term deportation numbers compare to Trump's?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, Biden's first term deportation numbers closely matched or exceeded Trump's deportation record. The Biden administration carried out approximately 1.5 million deportations from fiscal year 2021 through 2024, which is on track to match the 1.5 million deportations during Trump's four-year term ^{[1] [2]}.

More significantly, US immigration authorities under Biden deported the largest number of undocumented immigrants in nearly a decade, surpassing Trump's 2019 record with more than 271,000 immigrants deported in the last fiscal year ^[3]. This represents a notable achievement in terms of raw deportation numbers.

However, the composition of these deportations differs significantly between administrations. Most of Biden's deportations originated from border encounters, while Trump's administration focused more heavily on interior enforcement ^[2]. Under Trump's second term, ICE arrested 66,463 illegal aliens and removed 65,682 aliens in the first 100 days alone, with three in four arrests being criminal illegal aliens ^[4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks crucial context about the types of deportations being measured. While Biden's total deportation numbers were higher, Trump's interior deportation numbers were almost double Biden's ^[5]. This distinction is critical because:

• Border deportations (immediate removals of recent border crossers) versus interior deportations (removal of individuals already living in the US) represent fundamentally different enforcement approaches
• Biden's deportation numbers were inflated due to high border apprehensions rather than systematic interior enforcement ^[5]

Political and policy beneficiaries from emphasizing different metrics include:

• Biden administration officials benefit from highlighting total deportation numbers to counter criticism of being "soft" on immigration
• Trump administration officials benefit from emphasizing interior enforcement numbers to demonstrate targeted law enforcement
• Immigration advocacy groups may benefit from highlighting the distinction to argue against conflating border and interior enforcement

Additionally, recent data shows deportations to Mexico decreased under Trump's second term, with 32,537 Mexican nationals returned in the first three months compared to 47,659 during the same period under Biden ^[6].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question, while factually neutral, omits the critical distinction between different types of deportations, which can lead to misleading comparisons. The question implies a simple numerical comparison without acknowledging that:

• The nature and targeting of deportations differed significantly between administrations
• Biden's higher numbers were largely driven by border enforcement rather than interior removals ^[5]
• Trump's approach focused more heavily on interior enforcement and criminal aliens ^[4]

Furthermore, the question doesn't account for policy changes that affected deportation categorization. Under Trump's second term, the number of people detained for only immigration violations increased by 800%, and non-criminals were also targeted in ICE raids despite the administration's crime-focused messaging ^[7].

The framing could inadvertently support narratives that either administration was more or less effective at immigration enforcement without providing the nuanced context necessary for accurate assessment.