How does the number of deportations under Biden compare to the Trump and Obama administrations?
Executive summary
Across multiple analyses and DHS data cited in reporting, Joe Biden’s administration oversaw substantially higher removals and returns in its later years than Donald Trump’s early months in his second term — Biden’s last full year averaged about 57,000 removals and returns per month versus roughly 37,660 deportations in Trump’s first month of 2025 as reported — but comparisons depend on definitions (removals vs. returns, border expulsions vs. interior deportations) and time windows used by different trackers [1] [2] [3].
1. Big-picture totals: “Who deported more?” depends on the yardstick
Public reporting shows wide variation because journalists and researchers use different measures: DHS “removals and returns” (which combine formal deportations and voluntary returns/expulsions) produce much larger totals than ICE’s interior “removals” alone; some outlets report monthly averages, others cumulative multi‑year counts. For example, Newsweek cites DHS figures showing about 48,970 removals in November 2024 and a two‑week total of 5,693 after Jan. 2025 [1]. Reuters contrasts that with the first month of Trump’s 2025 term (37,660 deportations) and notes Biden’s last full year averaged about 57,000 removals and returns per month [2]. Analysts therefore reach different conclusions depending on whether they count returns, formal removals, border expulsions (Title 42-era practices or post‑Title 42 returns), or ICE interior removals [3] [2].
2. Biden’s “returner-in-chief” label reflects returns and diplomatic work
Several analyses emphasize that the Biden administration carried out many returns and negotiated repatriations to more countries than recent predecessors. Migration Policy Institute and related reporting note that for the first time since early Obama years most deportations were returns and authorities have deported migrants to more than 170 countries, a trend tied to diplomatic negotiations and post‑Title‑42 operational changes [3]. That framing explains why Biden-era totals on some measures look particularly large: many are quick expulsions or voluntary returns rather than long interior removal operations [3].
3. Trump’s headline rhetoric outpaced early 2025 monthly rates
Reporting from Reuters and others finds that Trump’s early 2025 deportation rate — while high by many standards — was lower than the monthly average during Biden’s last full year. Reuters reported DHS data showing Trump deported 37,660 people in his first month (January 2025) and noted that figure was “far less than the monthly average of 57,000 removals and returns in the last full year of Joe Biden’s administration” [2]. Independent trackers and NGOs have cautioned that announced policy changes under a new administration can take time to translate into sustained higher removal numbers [4].
4. Timeframes and attribution complicate cross‑administration tallies
Fiscal year boundaries and transition timing blur attribution. FY 2025 began Oct. 1, 2024 — a period that includes both late‑Biden and early‑Trump actions — and some reporting and trackers count cumulative removals since the fiscal year started, complicating clean “Biden vs. Trump” year‑to‑year comparisons [4]. Some organizations (e.g., TRAC, Deportation Data Project) track removals daily or by flight; others use DHS monthly releases, leading to apparent contradictions unless readers account for which dataset and dates are used [4] [1].
5. Differences by enforcement venue: border vs. interior
Several sources underline that much of the apparent surge under Biden reflected border expulsions and rapid repatriations rather than interior enforcement arrests and ICE removals. By contrast, policy shifts under Trump in 2025 emphasized expanding interior arrests and detention capacity, but Reuters and monitoring groups noted legal and logistical limits that kept early deportation numbers below Biden’s last full‑year monthly average [2] [5]. Available sources do not mention exact splits for every month, but they repeatedly stress the border / interior distinction [3] [2].
6. Watch the definitions: “deportations,” “removals,” “returns,” and “flights” are not interchangeable
News outlets and analysts use terms inconsistently. Newsweek and Reuters quote DHS but sometimes emphasize “removals and returns” (a broad DHS category) while ICE interior removals or deportation flight counts yield smaller figures [1] [2]. Migration Policy Institute explicitly notes the surge in returns and repatriation diplomacy under Biden, which inflates some tallies relative to administrations that pursued different tactics [3].
7. What the data don’t settle — and what to watch next
Available reporting documents clear short‑term contrasts but does not settle long‑run rankings across full presidencies because fiscal boundaries, policy tools (Title 42, parole programs), and diplomatic arrangements shift outcomes rapidly [3] [2]. Analysts urge monitoring: monthly DHS releases, ICE interior removals versus DHS “removals and returns,” and independent trackers of deportation flights and country‑level repatriations provide the best evolving picture [4] [1].
Bottom line: headline claims that one president “deported more” than another can be true or misleading depending on the metric. DHS monthly figures show Biden’s last full year had higher monthly removals/returns than Trump’s early 2025 months [2], while migration policy analysts point to a Biden-era shift toward returns and broader country repatriations [3].