Fact check: How many illegals did president Oboma deport

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, President Obama formally removed approximately 3 million noncitizens from the U.S. over his two terms, making him the president with the highest number of formal deportations in American history according to Department of Homeland Security data ^[1]. However, the total numbers vary slightly across sources, with one analysis citing more than 2 million deportations ^[2] and another confirming more than 3 million people deported during his presidency ^[3].

The Obama administration's approach differed significantly from previous administrations by focusing on formal removals rather than returns ^[4]. In fiscal year 2016 alone, 344,354 removals were carried out, with 85% being noncitizens who had recently crossed the U.S. border unlawfully ^[4]. The administration increasingly prioritized removing noncitizens convicted of crimes, with more than 90% of interior removals in 2016 being individuals convicted of serious crimes ^[4].

75% to 83% of those deported did not see a judge or have the opportunity to plead their case, based on DHS data from fiscal years 2009 to 2016 ^[3].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks crucial context about the Obama administration's dual approach to immigration enforcement. While achieving record deportation numbers, Obama simultaneously implemented policies to protect certain immigrant populations. Obama's executive action allowed nearly five million undocumented immigrants to remain in the country, provided they had lived in the U.S. for more than five years and had children who were citizens or lawful permanent residents ^[5].

The administration's strategy represented a targeted enforcement approach rather than blanket deportations. The focus was on recent unauthorized border crossers and noncitizens with criminal records ^[4], which differs significantly from broader deportation policies that might target all undocumented immigrants equally.

Civil liberties organizations like the ACLU criticized Obama's deportation record as "horrifying" ^[2], while Republicans perceived his executive actions as unconstitutional ^[5]. This demonstrates how different political constituencies viewed his immigration policies through opposing lenses.

The question also omits Obama's support for programs like DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), which protected certain young immigrants from deportation ^[6].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains loaded language by using the term "illegals" to refer to undocumented immigrants, which is considered derogatory and dehumanizing by many immigration advocates and organizations. This terminology choice suggests potential bias against immigrants and may influence how readers perceive the information.

Additionally, the question includes a spelling error ("Oboma" instead of "Obama"), which could indicate either carelessness or intentional disrespect, potentially revealing the questioner's attitude toward the former president.

The framing focuses solely on deportation numbers without acknowledging the complexity of Obama's immigration policies, which included both enforcement measures and protective actions. This narrow focus could mislead readers into believing Obama's immigration policy was solely punitive, when the record shows a more nuanced approach that both immigration restrictionists and immigrant rights advocates criticized from different perspectives ^{[2] [5]}.