Fact check: How many illegal aliens did trump deport

1. Summary of the results

The exact total number of deportations under Trump shows varying figures across different timeframes:

• Early administration saw 28,319 deportations in the first seven weeks (approximately 3,887 per week) ^[1]
• By late April, deportations reached 139,000, later updated to 207,000 ^[2]
• Despite Trump's campaign promise of deporting 1.5 million immigrants with criminal records ^[3], the actual numbers fell significantly short of this target
• Notably, Trump's deportation numbers were actually lower than during the Obama administration ^[3]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements are missing from the original question:

• Local ICE offices, such as Houston, were already deporting 12,000-15,000 people annually before Trump's presidency ^[4]
• The administration explored alternative strategies including:
• Self-deportation incentives
• Increased pressure on ICE for more arrests ^[2]
• There is uncertainty in the reporting about whether numbers include both border removals and interior removals ^[1]
• At least seven U.S. citizens were mistakenly detained or targeted for deportation, indicating potential issues with the enforcement approach ^[5]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The term "illegal aliens" in the original question is itself politically charged. Several potential biases should be considered:

• The question oversimplifies a complex issue by focusing solely on numbers without considering:
• The human impact, as documented through individual stories ^[6]
• The accuracy and methodology of enforcement
• The distinction between different types of removals
• Multiple stakeholders benefit from different narratives:
• The Trump administration benefited from promoting higher numbers to satisfy campaign promises ^[3]
• Immigration enforcement agencies benefit from showing increased activity
• Opposition groups benefit from highlighting lower-than-promised numbers and enforcement mistakes ^[5]