Fact check: How did family separation policies differ between Obama and Trump immigration enforcement?

1. Summary of the results

There were fundamental differences between the two administrations' approaches to family separation:

• Under Obama, family separations were not a standard policy and occurred only in specific circumstances like drug trafficking or suspected human trafficking ^{[1] [2]}
• The Trump administration implemented a "zero tolerance" policy that systematically separated families as a default approach, resulting in at least 2,300 families being separated in just six weeks ^{[1] [3]}
• The Obama administration specifically considered and rejected family separation as a blanket policy ^[2]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements are worth noting:

• The Obama administration did use family detention for asylum seekers, though without systematic separation ^[3]
• During legal challenges, the Obama administration argued they had three options when apprehending families:
• Detention
• Separation
• Release with notice to appear ^[4]
• Under Trump, parents were criminally prosecuted and their children were classified as "unaccompanied minors" ^[3]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself might suggest a false equivalency between the two administrations' policies. Common misrepresentations include:

• The claim that both administrations had similar separation policies - This is explicitly contradicted by multiple sources ^[1]
• The suggestion that separations under Obama were comparable in scale to those under Trump - The evidence shows Trump's policy was unprecedented in scope and implementation ^[2]

Those who benefit from these misrepresentations include:

• Political actors seeking to normalize the "zero tolerance" policy by drawing false equivalencies
• Policy advocates arguing for stricter immigration enforcement
• Media outlets seeking to create controversy by suggesting both administrations had similar approaches