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

1. Summary of the results

The deportation statistics across the three administrations show distinct patterns:

• Obama Administration (2009-2016): Consistently reported as having the highest deportation numbers, with approximately 5.3 million total removals across his two terms ^[1]. This breaks down to about 1.57 million and 1.49 million immigrants removed in respective fiscal years ^[2].
• Trump Administration (2017-2021): Oversaw approximately 2.1 million removals during his first term ^[1], with about 1.2 million through removal orders and an additional 805,770 who self-deported or were turned away at the border ^[2].
• Biden Administration (2021-2025): Has recorded approximately 4.7 million total repatriations, though this figure requires important context - it includes Title 42 pandemic-era expulsions. When looking specifically at removal orders, the number is around 649,000 since fiscal year 2021 ^[2].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several crucial contextual elements need to be considered:

• Historical Party Comparison: From 1990-2018, Democratic presidents were responsible for 60% of deportations, with a higher annual average ^{[3] [4]} compared to Republicans ^{[5] [6] [7]}.
• Types of Removals: Not all removals are interior arrests - many occur at border crossings ^[1]. This distinction is crucial for understanding the true nature of deportation statistics.
• Policy Impact: The numbers are heavily influenced by various policy approaches rather than just political party affiliation ^[7].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The simple comparison of raw numbers can be misleading for several reasons:

• Title 42 Impact: Biden's numbers are significantly inflated by including Title 42 pandemic-era expulsions ^[2]. Without these, his removal orders are actually lower than both predecessors.
• Time Period Variations: Different sources sometimes use different time periods or counting methods, leading to slightly varying numbers. For example, some sources show Obama with 3 million removals while others cite 5.3 million ^{[7] [1]}.
• Political Narrative: Both political parties could potentially use these statistics to their advantage - Democrats could highlight their stronger enforcement record historically ^[7], while Republicans could focus on specific periods or types of removals that support their narrative of being tougher on immigration.