Fact check: Did ICE make plain clothes raids during the Obama administration?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, ICE did conduct enforcement operations during the Obama administration, though the nature and scale differed from later administrations. While the sources don't explicitly confirm "plain clothes raids" specifically, they reveal that ICE enforcement actions continued throughout Obama's presidency.

Key findings include:

• The Obama administration ended large-scale workplace raids but still conducted enforcement operations that resulted in arrests of unauthorized workers ^[1]
• ICE operations under Trump were noted as continuing enforcement started by Obama, suggesting operational continuity across administrations ^[2]
• The Obama administration created elaborate enforcement operations, including a fake university sting operation that began in 2015-2016 to target student visa fraud ^[3]
• Joe Biden's claim that the Obama administration did not conduct workplace raids was rated "Half True" by fact-checkers, indicating that while large-scale raids ended, enforcement operations continued ^[1]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks important context about the evolution of ICE enforcement tactics across different administrations. Several critical perspectives are missing:

• Scale and methodology differences: The Obama administration shifted from large-scale workplace raids to more targeted operations, often focusing on employers rather than just workers ^[1]
• Enforcement strategy variations: Obama's approach included deputizing local law enforcement and using programs like 287(g) agreements and Secure Communities, rather than relying solely on federal raids ^[4]
• Political framing benefits: Different political actors benefit from emphasizing different aspects of Obama's immigration record - immigration advocates benefit from highlighting the end of large-scale raids, while enforcement supporters benefit from emphasizing continued deportations and operations ^{[1] [5]}
• Deportation statistics context: The Obama administration actually had a higher deportation rate than the Trump administration, which provides important context for understanding enforcement priorities ^[6]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question, while straightforward, may inadvertently promote a false binary by focusing specifically on "plain clothes raids" without acknowledging the broader context of immigration enforcement evolution.

Potential issues include:

• Oversimplification: The question doesn't account for the documented shift in enforcement strategy during the Obama administration from large-scale raids to more targeted operations ^[1]
• Missing nuance: The focus on "plain clothes raids" specifically may miss the broader reality that ICE enforcement continued in various forms, including sophisticated operations like the fake university sting ^[3]
• Historical context gap: The question doesn't acknowledge that enforcement methods and priorities evolved throughout Obama's presidency, making a simple yes/no answer potentially misleading ^{[2] [4]}

The evidence suggests that while the Obama administration did conduct ICE enforcement operations, the characterization and scale of these operations became a point of political contention, with different stakeholders emphasizing different aspects of the enforcement record to support their preferred narratives.