Fact check: Which president had the highest number of deportations in US history?

1. Summary of the results

Barack Obama had the highest number of deportations in US history, with over 3 million deportation orders between 2009-2016 ^[1]. When including all repatriations, the total number reaches 5.24 million immigrants removed or returned during his presidency ^[2]. Multiple sources consistently confirm these numbers ^{[1] [2]}.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

• While Obama holds the record, it's important to note that he did not deport more people than all previous presidents combined - his 3.1 million removals were less than the 4.6 million issued before his presidency ^[3].
• For recent context, the Trump administration reported:

207,000 deportations as of April 2025 ^[4]

271,484 deportations in fiscal year 2024 ^[4]

Despite campaign promises to deport 15 million people, these numbers haven't materialized ^[4]

Public Opinion Context:

Only about one-third of Americans support deporting all undocumented immigrants ^[5]

Americans generally support deportations of criminals but oppose deporting:

• Immigrants with jobs
• Those who arrived as children
• Parents of US citizens
• Long-term residents ^[6]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself, while seemingly straightforward, could be misleading without proper context:

• Raw deportation numbers don't tell the full story about immigration policy effectiveness
• Different administrations categorize "deportations" differently
• Political groups benefiting from these statistics:

Immigration hardliners can use Obama's numbers to claim Democrats are tough on immigration

Immigration advocates can use the same numbers to criticize Democratic policies

• Current administration can use these historical numbers to either justify increased deportations or argue for more moderate approaches based on public opinion ^{[5] [6]}