Fact check: How many detention centers were built during Obama's presidency?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available analyses, a precise count of detention centers built during Obama's presidency cannot be determined from the provided sources. However, the sources confirm that the Obama administration significantly expanded the family detention system beginning in summer 2014 in response to increased migration from Central America ^[1].

Specific facilities mentioned include:

• Central Processing Center in McAllen, Texas - built in July 2014 with capacity for 1,500 detainees ^[2]
• Family detention center in Dilley, Texas - announced/opened by the Obama administration ^{[3] [1]}
• Karnes facility in Texas ^[1]
• Berks County Residential Center ^[1]

The sources consistently describe this as a "massive expansion" of family detention that began in 2014 ^[1], but none provide a comprehensive count of total detention centers constructed during the eight-year Obama presidency.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The question lacks important context about what constitutes a "detention center" - whether it includes temporary processing facilities, converted warehouses, expanded existing facilities, or only newly constructed permanent detention centers. The Obama administration converted existing facilities like warehouses into processing centers ^[2], which may or may not count toward the total.

Critical missing context includes:

• The 2014 migration crisis that prompted the detention expansion - thousands of unaccompanied minors and families from Central America seeking asylum ^{[1] [2]}
• The Obama administration's stated rationale that family detention was "necessary to send a message to Central American families" to deter future migration ^[4]
• Civil rights organizations like the ACLU strongly opposed this expansion, calling it "reckless" and arguing it put "mothers and children at risk" ^{[3] [4]}

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself appears neutral but could be politically motivated depending on context. The framing focuses specifically on Obama's presidency, which could be used to either:

• Criticize Obama for expanding detention infrastructure that later housed separated families under Trump
• Defend Trump by arguing he inherited detention facilities built by Obama

The sources reveal this is a politically charged topic where immigration advocacy groups consistently opposed the Obama administration's detention policies ^{[3] [4]}. The question's narrow focus on numbers without context about the humanitarian crisis that prompted the expansion could mislead readers about the circumstances and decision-making process behind the detention system expansion.

Organizations like the ACLU would benefit from emphasizing the humanitarian costs of detention expansion, while political opponents might benefit from using raw numbers to assign blame without acknowledging the complex circumstances of the 2014 border crisis.