What demographic groups were most affected by deportations under each president?
Executive summary
Deportation totals rose under both administrations: Biden-era removals from FY2021 through Feb. 2024 reached about 1.1 million and were “on pace” to match Trump’s four-year total of roughly 1.5 million removals [1]. Public and private analyses show changing demographics—Biden-era deportations included more families and migrants from a wider set of countries, while Trump’s enforcement in 2025 emphasized interior arrests and removals that hit distinct groups such as Venezuelans and CHNV parolees once protections were revoked [1] [2] [3].
1. Who was most affected under Biden: a shift toward families and global origins
Data and reporting say the Biden administration’s removals occurred against a migration flow that featured more families and migrants from many countries; MPI notes authorities deported people to more than 170 countries during Biden’s term, and observers point to a demographic shift in arrivals toward families rather than primarily single adults [1]. Government numbers through early 2024 count about 1.1 million deportations since FY2021, underscoring that large-scale removals under Biden affected a broader international mix of migrants [1].
2. Who was most affected under Trump (first and second terms): hardline focus, interior enforcement
Reporting and institutional analyses characterize Trump’s enforcement as “hardline” and “maximalist,” with an emphasis in his second term on interior arrests and large-scale removals—including policies that revoked temporary protections for groups such as Venezuelans under CHNV parole—thereby exposing those groups to deportation [2] [3]. Migration Policy Institute and other analysts report that during FY2025 ICE conducted more community deportations than Border Patrol removals for the first time since at least FY2014, indicating a demographic effect on long-settled noncitizens [4].
3. Criminal vs. noncriminal populations: competing narratives and evidence
The Trump White House framed its 2025 enforcement as a campaign against “criminal illegal aliens,” and Axios reported a surge in ICE arrests compared with the Biden years [5]. Independent observers, immigration advocates and some data analyses counter that many deportations also affected people without serious new convictions—examples include parole program beneficiaries and those with temporary protections that were rescinded [3] [2]. Available sources do not provide a single breakdown by conviction status across both presidencies that fully resolves these competing claims.
4. Nationality and program-specific impacts: who lost protections
Several sources highlight program-level decisions that changed who was vulnerable: the termination of CHNV parole and rollbacks of TPS or other temporary programs under Trump’s second term put Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, Venezuelans and others at risk of removal after previously having legal authorization—actions that directly shifted deportation exposure onto those national-origin groups [2] [3]. Migration Policy Institute notes that Biden-era deportations still sent people to a very large set of countries—more than 170—showing broad geographic reach under both administrations [1].
5. Scale and timing matter: year-by-year differences shape demographics
Yearly and fiscal patterns differ: FY2021 under Biden saw unusually low deportation counts, but removals increased and peaked by FY2024; MPI highlighted 271,484 deportations in FY2024 in compiled summaries [6] [1]. By contrast, Trump’s 2025 push accelerated interior arrests and removals quickly, producing steep rises in community deportations and contributing to early-2025 demographic shifts such as declines in the U.S. foreign‑born population between January and mid‑2025 [4] [7].
6. Public opinion and political context that shape who is targeted
Public surveys and commentaries show the politics around deportation influence which groups are prioritized. Pew polling finds Americans are divided on which categories should be deported and notes that temporary-status populations (TPS, DACA, CHNV parolees) are especially vulnerable because presidential actions can remove their protections [8]. Pew’s reporting on Latino attitudes further shows reinforcement of political pressures that can inform enforcement choices [9].
7. Limitations, open questions and where reporting diverges
Available sources document large totals and program changes but do not provide a single, authoritative cross‑administration breakdown by age, gender, conviction status and nationality for every fiscal year. Estimates for Trump’s second term deportation totals vary (official claims vs. some independent tallies), and some outlets report that official counts may under- or overstate removals [2] [10]. Migration Policy Institute and other analysts offer differing counts for FY2025 deportations, reflecting measurement and timing differences [4] [10].
Bottom line: Biden-era removals included a large number of families and migrants from an unusually wide range of countries, producing roughly 1.1 million deportations through Feb. 2024; Trump’s enforcement pushed a hardline interior strategy in 2025 that exposed parolees, TPS beneficiaries and long‑settled noncitizens—especially certain national groups—to increased removals [1] [2] [3] [4]. Available sources do not provide a complete, uniform demographic table that answers every subgroup comparison across both presidencies.