Fact check: What were the exact deportation numbers under Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, here are the exact deportation numbers for each administration:

Obama Administration (2009-2017):

• Total deportations: More than 3.1 million ICE deportations over eight years ^[1]
• Peak year: Fiscal year 2012 with more than 407,000 removals ^[1]
• Monthly average in 2013: 36,000 deportations (the highest monthly average on record) ^[2]

Trump Administration (2017-2021):

• Total deportations: Fewer than 932,000 deportations across four years ^[1]
• Peak year: 2019 with 269,000 deportations ^[1]
• Monthly average: 14,700 deportations per month ^[2]
• Additional data shows over 253,000 immigrants deported in an unspecified timeframe ^[2]

Biden Administration (2021-present):

• Total deportations: 1.1 million deportations from fiscal year 2021 through February 2024 ^[3]
• Monthly average: 12,660 immigrants deported per month from February to April 2024 ^[2]
• Administrative returns: More than 505,000 from FY 2021 through February 2024 ^[3]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The raw deportation numbers don't tell the complete story. Several important contextual factors emerge from the analyses:

Policy Focus Differences:

• The Obama administration shifted focus to formal removals instead of returns and prioritized removing noncitizens convicted of crimes ^[4]
• Under Trump, 70% of those arrested by ICE had criminal convictions or pending criminal charges ^[5]
• The Biden administration has carried out the most administrative returns in at least 15 years ^[3]

Economic Impact Perspective:

• Research on Obama-era deportations found that deporting large numbers of workers does not lead to more job opportunities or higher wages for U.S.-born workers and may actually result in fewer jobs for American-born workers due to economic ripple effects ^[6]

Measurement Methodology:

• The Biden administration appears to be on track to carry out as many removals and returns as the Trump administration when combining both formal deportations and administrative returns ^[3]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself is neutral and factual, simply requesting deportation statistics. However, the framing of "exact deportation numbers" could be misleading because:

• Different administrations use different categorization methods - some focus on "removals," others on "returns," and some combine both metrics ^[3]
• The question doesn't account for the different lengths of time each administration served - Obama served 8 years, Trump 4 years, and Biden's numbers are still accumulating
• Raw numbers without context can be used to support various political narratives depending on whether one emphasizes total numbers, monthly averages, or policy priorities

The analyses suggest that immigration enforcement organizations, policy advocates on both sides, and political campaigns would benefit from selective use of these statistics to support their preferred narratives about border security effectiveness.