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Fact check: How do deportation numbers compare between Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations?

Checked on June 16, 2025

1. Summary of the results

The deportation numbers across administrations show significant variations, with some discrepancies between sources:

  • Obama Administration (2009-2016):
  • Most sources agree on approximately 5.3 million total removals across two terms [1]
  • Approximately 3 million were formal immigration removal orders [2]
  • Trump Administration (2017-2020):
  • Total deportations range from 1.2 million to 2.1 million [1] [2]
  • Includes approximately 805,770 self-deportations and border returns [2]
  • Current administration claims 5,693 deportations in early 2025 [1]
  • Biden Administration (2021-2024):
  • Approximately 4.6-4.7 million total repatriations [1] [2]
  • Only 649,000 formal removal orders since 2021 [2]
  • Reached highest monthly total of 147,080 removals in March 2022 [1]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several crucial contextual factors are missing from simple numerical comparisons:

  • Types of Removals: Not all deportations are the same:
  • Many removals occur at border crossings rather than interior arrests [1]
  • Title 42 pandemic-era policies significantly inflated Biden's numbers [2]
  • Historical Context: From 1990 to 2018:
  • Democratic presidents averaged 246,006 deportations annually
  • Republican presidents averaged 205,453 deportations annually [3]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself oversimplifies a complex issue:

  • Statistical Manipulation: Raw numbers can be misleading without context:
  • Biden's numbers include Title 42 expulsions, making direct comparisons difficult [2]
  • Self-deportations and border returns are counted differently by different sources [2]
  • Political Implications: Different administrations benefit from different interpretations:
  • Democrats can claim stricter enforcement based on higher historical numbers [3]
  • Republicans can focus on formal removal orders, where numbers are lower under Biden [2]
  • Current administration's early 2025 claims require additional verification [1]
Want to dive deeper?
What were the specific deportation policies implemented by each administration?
How did COVID-19 impact deportation numbers during the Biden administration?
What is the difference between removals and returns in immigration statistics?
How do sanctuary city policies affect federal deportation efforts across different administrations?
What role did Title 42 play in immigration enforcement under Trump and Biden?