Fact check: What were the key factors in the Obama administration's deportation priorities?

1. Summary of the results

The key factors in the Obama administration's deportation priorities were focused on national security threats, public safety threats, and recent border crossers ^[1]. The administration's policies prioritized the removal of non-citizens who had recently crossed the border unlawfully, as well as those who had been convicted of serious crimes ^[1]. This approach was more nuanced compared to the Trump administration's policy, which prioritized all undocumented immigrants for removal ^[2]. The Obama administration created immigration enforcement priorities to channel limited resources towards individuals it deemed to be high priorities, including threats to national security, threats to public safety, and recent illegal entrants ^[3]. The administration made strategic decisions to strengthen enforcement policy, including moving away from 'voluntary' returns of unauthorized border crosses and focusing on national security threats, border security, and public safety ^[4]. In FY 2016, 85% of all removals and returns were of noncitizens who had recently crossed the border unlawfully or had been convicted of serious crimes ^[1]. However, the Obama administration's deportation record was also marked by controversy, with over 2.8 million undocumented immigrants removed, earning him the label 'deporter-in-chief' from some Latino advocacy groups ^[5].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

A key aspect missing from the original statement is the criticism of the Obama administration's deportation record, with some arguing that the administration prioritized speed over fairness in the removal system, violating the constitutional tradition of individualized due process ^[6]. Additionally, the administration's efforts to create the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program were overshadowed by its deportation record, earning criticism from Latino advocacy groups ^[5]. The Republican-led House of Representatives also opposed President Obama's immigration reform plans, arguing that the president acted illegally in deferring deportations for up to 5 million undocumented immigrants ^[7]. Furthermore, the original statement does not provide context on the comparison between the Obama and Biden administrations' immigration enforcement priorities, with the Biden administration returning to a more nuanced approach, prioritizing national security threats, border security, and public safety ^[3]. The original statement also lacks information on the strategic decisions made by the Obama administration to strengthen enforcement policy, including moving away from 'voluntary' returns of unauthorized border crosses ^[4].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement may be biased towards presenting the Obama administration's deportation priorities in a positive light, without fully acknowledging the controversy surrounding its deportation record ^[5]. The statement may also be misleading in its omission of criticism from Latino advocacy groups and the Republican-led House of Representatives ^{[6] [7]}. Additionally, the statement may be incomplete in its presentation of the Obama administration's immigration enforcement priorities, without providing context on the comparison between the Obama and Biden administrations' approaches ^[3]. The sources cited in the analyses, such as the Bipartisan Policy Center ^[2] and the American Civil Liberties Union ^[6], may have different perspectives and biases, with the former presenting a more nuanced view of the Obama administration's deportation priorities and the latter criticizing the administration's prioritization of speed over fairness ^[6]. Overall, the original statement may benefit those who support the Obama administration's immigration policies, while potentially misleading those who are critical of its deportation record ^[5].