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Fact check: Deportions under Biden vs Trump per day

Checked on August 13, 2025

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, Biden maintained higher daily deportation rates than Trump during Trump's early 2025 presidency. The data shows that Trump's daily removals averaged 661 people per day from January 26 to March 8, 2025, which is 10.9% lower than Biden's daily average of 742 in FY 2024 [1].

During Trump's first month in office, he deported 37,660 people, which falls significantly short of the monthly average of 57,000 removals and returns recorded during Biden's last full year in administration [2]. Current projections suggest Trump's administration will deport approximately 500,000 people annually, well below both his stated goal of 1 million deportations per year and Biden's FY 2024 record of 685,000 deportations [3].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original query lacks several crucial contextual factors that affect deportation rates:

  • Detention capacity limitations: ICE arrests have actually increased under Trump, but detention space limits deportation capacity, creating a bottleneck between arrests and actual removals [2]
  • Operational ramp-up period: The data reflects Trump's early presidency period, and deportation infrastructure may require time to reach full operational capacity
  • Different measurement periods: The comparison uses Biden's full fiscal year 2024 data against Trump's initial weeks and months in office, which may not represent steady-state operations
  • Arrest vs. removal distinction: While Trump's daily removals lag behind Biden's, Trump's average daily arrests are 2% higher than Biden's average daily rate for arrests [4], suggesting increased enforcement activity that hasn't yet translated to completed deportations

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement requesting "Deportions under Biden vs Trump per day" appears neutral but could be misleading without proper context:

  • Timing bias: Comparing a former president's full-year performance against a current president's initial weeks creates an inherently unequal comparison that may favor the established administration
  • Missing operational context: The statement doesn't acknowledge that deportation rates depend on complex logistical factors beyond political will, including detention capacity, court processing times, and international cooperation agreements
  • Incomplete metrics: Focusing solely on daily deportation rates ignores other enforcement metrics like arrests, which show Trump maintaining higher activity levels in some areas [4]

The data consistently shows that Trump's early 2025 deportation rates fall short of both his campaign promises and Biden's 2024 performance, but this may reflect operational challenges rather than policy effectiveness.

Want to dive deeper?
What is the average daily deportation rate under the Biden administration?
How do Trump-era deportation policies differ from Biden's approach?
What factors contribute to changes in daily deportation rates under different administrations?