Fact check: What were the key differences in immigration enforcement priorities under Obama versus Trump?

1. Summary of the results

The key differences in immigration enforcement between Obama and Trump administrations were both philosophical and practical:

• Obama's Approach: Implemented a tiered, targeted system prioritizing deportations of:
• Serious criminals
• National security threats
• Recent border crossers ^[1]
• Used prosecutorial discretion extensively
• The percentage of serious criminals among deportees increased from 69% to 94% between 2009-2016 ^[1]
• Trump's Approach:
• Abandoned the tiered system
• Treated all undocumented immigrants as equal priorities
• Removed prosecutorial discretion ^[2]
• Implemented harsher policies including family separations ^[3]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

• Deportation Numbers: Contrary to popular perception:
• Obama deported 3.2 million immigrants from 2009-2016 ^[4]
• Trump's administration actually deported fewer people - approximately 1.9 million in his term ^[1]
• Under Obama, 75-83% of deportations were nonjudicial, raising due process concerns ^[4]
• Philosophical Differences:
• Obama pursued inclusion and compassionate immigration reform, implementing programs like DACA
• Trump followed an "America First" exclusionary approach ^[3]
• The Biden administration has since returned to an approach more similar to Obama's ^[2]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question oversimplifies what is actually a complex policy issue. Several important factors should be considered:

• Statistical Misrepresentation: While Trump's rhetoric suggested stronger enforcement, his administration actually deported fewer people than Obama's ^[1]
• Process Quality: Both administrations faced criticism about due process, with high rates of nonjudicial deportations ^[4]
• Beneficiaries of Different Narratives:
• Pro-immigration groups benefit from highlighting Trump's harsh policies
• Anti-immigration groups benefit from emphasizing raw deportation numbers under Obama
• Law enforcement agencies benefit from portraying both approaches as "tough on crime"

The reality is more nuanced than simple "tough" versus "lenient" characterizations, with both administrations facing criticism for different aspects of their approaches.