Fact check: How many illegal immigrants did Obama deport vs trump

1. Summary of the results

The data clearly shows that Obama's administration deported more people than Trump's administration. During Obama's presidency, there were approximately 5.24 million total repatriations ^[1], including 3 million removals and 2 million returns ^[2]. In contrast, Trump's administration recorded significantly lower numbers, with approximately 2 million deportations from 2017 to 2020 ^[3]. By April 2025, Trump's administration had only deported 207,000 migrants ^[4], falling far short of their ambitious 15 million removal target.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual points need to be considered:

• Different Types of Deportations: There are three distinct metrics for deportations: Removals (court-ordered), Returns (border returns without penalties), and Title 42 expulsions ^[3].
• Historical Comparison: The Bush administration actually had over 5.3 million removals during his two terms ^[5], providing important historical context for both Obama and Trump's numbers.
• Recent Trends: Trump's administration has attempted to increase interior immigration enforcement, with ICE arrests more than doubling since taking office ^[4]. If current trends continue, they would remove just over 300,000 people by year-end ^[6].
• Policy Changes: The Trump administration has been trying to expand deportation pathways, including expedited removal and stripping protections from various immigrant groups ^[6].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The simple comparison of deportation numbers can be misleading without proper context:

• Administrative Differences: The Cato Institute has noted that "the Trump administration failed to meaningfully increase immigration enforcement in the interior of the United States" compared to the Obama administration ^[7].
• Political Narratives: Obama's aggressive deportation policy led immigrant rights advocates to label him the "deporter-in-chief" by 2017 ^[3], which contrasts with common political narratives about both administrations' approaches to immigration.
• Statistical Interpretation: While Trump's administration has attempted to present itself as tougher on immigration, the actual numbers show a different story, with DeSantis' claim about Trump deporting fewer people than Obama being rated as "True" ^[7].