Fact check: How did the average length of stay in Obama-era detention centers compare to the Trump administration?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available analyses, there is limited direct data comparing average length of stay between Obama-era and Trump administration detention centers. However, the sources provide some relevant information:

• The Trump administration increased detention times significantly, holding non-criminals an average of 60 days in detention, which nearly doubled the average from 2009 ^[1]
• Under Trump, hundreds of migrant minors were held by CBP longer than the 72 hours legally allowed in recent months, suggesting extended stays beyond legal limits ^[2]
• The average daily population of migrants in detention centers rose under Trump, though this doesn't directly address length of stay ^[2]
• ICE was detaining more individuals than ever before under Trump, with over 56,000 people being detained ^[3]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The analyses reveal several important gaps in addressing the original question:

• No comprehensive data on Obama-era average detention lengths is provided across any of the sources analyzed
• The sources focus more on detention conditions and policies rather than specific length-of-stay statistics ^{[3] [4] [5] [6]}
• Obama administration policies included family detention practices that were criticized by civil rights organizations, with the ACLU opposing the imprisonment of immigrant families ^[5]
• The Obama administration also awarded grants to private prison companies for detention alternatives, showing complex relationships with detention contractors ^[7]
• Deportation numbers under Obama were higher than Trump, but this doesn't directly correlate with detention length ^[8]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself doesn't contain misinformation, but it assumes comparable data exists for both administrations when the analyses show:

• Insufficient comparative data is available to make a definitive comparison of average length of stay
• The question may oversimplify complex detention policies that varied significantly between administrations in terms of priorities, populations targeted, and legal frameworks
• Both administrations faced criticism for detention practices, suggesting the issue transcends simple partisan comparisons ^{[5] [6] [3]}

The available evidence suggests Trump administration detention times were longer, but a complete comparative analysis would require more comprehensive data on Obama-era detention lengths that the current sources do not provide.