Fact check: How many immigrants entered the US under Trumps first term

1. Summary of the results

The question about immigration numbers during Trump's first term requires a nuanced analysis of different metrics. During his term, Trump deported approximately 1.5 million people ^[1], which was actually less than Obama's deportation numbers during his first term ^[1]. Border encounters during Trump's administration totaled approximately 6.4 million ^[2]. By the end of his presidency, monthly apprehensions had increased to over 71,000 in December 2020 and 75,000 in January 2021 ^[3].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual factors need to be considered:

• Border apprehensions were actually 14.7% higher in Trump's final year compared to the year before he took office ^[3]
• The lowest point of immigration was in April 2020, attributed to the pandemic rather than policy effectiveness ^[3]
• The Trump administration set an ambitious goal of targeting 15 million people for removal ^[4]
• Immigration numbers are influenced by multiple factors beyond policy, including:
• Global crises
• Economic conditions
• Perception of immigration policies ^[2]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself oversimplifies a complex issue. Several potential sources of bias should be noted:

• Raw numbers of "entries" don't tell the complete story, as total encounters do not directly translate to net illegal immigration ^[2]
• The immigration system was reported as "overwhelmed," making large-scale removals logistically challenging ^[1]
• While Trump's administration emphasized increased enforcement and ICE arrests ^[4], the actual deportation numbers were comparable to Biden's 1.49 million deportations ^[1]
• Political rhetoric often focuses on absolute numbers without providing important context about systemic limitations and comparative historical data