Fact check: How many immigrants entered America during trumps first term

1. Summary of the results

The analyses reveal that none of the sources provide a direct answer to the specific question about total immigrant entries during Trump's first term. However, they do provide important related data about immigration policy impacts during this period.

The most concrete data comes from immigration policy analysis showing that the Trump administration reduced the number of green cards issued to people abroad by at least 418,453 and reduced non-immigrant visas by at least 11,178,668 during his first term through November 2020 ^[1]. Additionally, President Trump reduced legal immigration by 63 percent during his tenure ^[2].

Regarding enforcement, the Trump administration aimed to deport 1 million people annually but deported roughly half a million people in the first 100 days of his second term, which was actually fewer than the 685,000 deportations recorded in fiscal year 2024 under President Joe Biden ^[3].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks several important contextual elements that would provide a more complete picture:

• The distinction between legal and illegal immigration entries - The analyses show Trump's policies significantly impacted legal immigration pathways, but the question doesn't specify which type of immigration is being asked about ^{[1] [2]}.
• The difference between gross entries and net immigration - The question asks about entries but doesn't account for departures, deportations, or other forms of population change.
• Workforce and economic impacts - The analyses indicate that Trump's immigration policies had significant impacts on the workforce, including the loss of legal status and authorization to work for thousands of workers ^[4], which provides important context about the broader effects beyond just entry numbers.
• International implications - One analysis suggests that the Trump administration used immigration policy as a way to pick fights and friends on the international stage and created potential for a 'brain drain' due to restrictive policies ^[5].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

While the original question appears neutral on its surface, it may inadvertently promote misleading framing by:

• Focusing solely on entry numbers without context - This framing could be used to support narratives about immigration "surges" without acknowledging the significant reductions in legal immigration pathways that occurred simultaneously.
• Omitting policy impact data - The question ignores the documented 63 percent reduction in legal immigration ^[2] and substantial decreases in visa issuance ^[1], which would provide crucial context for understanding the complete immigration picture during this period.
• Lacking temporal specificity - The question doesn't clarify whether it's asking about fiscal years, calendar years, or the exact presidential term dates, which could lead to different interpretations and potentially misleading comparisons.

The analyses suggest that public opinion on Trump's immigration record shows disapproval ^[6], indicating that how this data is presented and contextualized has significant political implications for various stakeholders.