Fact check: What were the total immigration numbers during Trump's first term?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, none of the sources contain specific total immigration numbers for Trump's first term (2017-2021). The available data is fragmented and focuses on specific aspects rather than comprehensive immigration totals:

• Deportation figures: Approximately 1.5 million deportations were carried out during Trump's first term, which is similar to the number under Biden's four years ^[1]
• Undocumented population context: Latin Americans make up around 77 percent of an estimated 11 million undocumented migrants in the United States ^[2]
• Refugee policy: The Trump administration set the refugee cap for Fiscal Year 2021 at 15,000 ^[3]
• Recent border activity: The number of people crossing the southern border has fallen to its lowest level in decades, with slightly over 6,000 apprehensions in June ^[4]

The sources primarily discuss policy changes, enforcement actions, and public opinion rather than providing comprehensive immigration statistics.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question seeks total immigration numbers, but the analyses reveal several important contextual gaps:

• Policy impact vs. numerical data: The sources focus heavily on policy changes and enforcement mechanisms rather than actual immigration flow statistics ^{[5] [3]}
• Termination of protective programs: The Trump administration terminated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for several countries, including Honduras, El Salvador, and Haiti ^[3], which would affect legal immigration numbers
• Public perception divide: There were mixed to negative views of Trump Administration immigration actions among Americans ^[6], suggesting the political context around these numbers is contentious
• Community impact: The policies created fear and uncertainty in immigrant communities, leading to behavioral changes like emptier streets in areas like Little Haiti ^[7]

Organizations and individuals who benefit from focusing on enforcement rather than comprehensive data include immigration enforcement agencies and politicians who can selectively cite statistics that support their positions.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself is not inherently biased, but the lack of readily available comprehensive data in the sources suggests potential issues:

• Data availability problem: The absence of total immigration numbers in multiple sources ^{[5] [2] [3] [6] [8] [7]} indicates that either this data is not commonly reported or is difficult to compile
• Selective reporting: Sources tend to focus on enforcement actions and deportations rather than total immigration flows, which could create a skewed understanding of the complete immigration picture during Trump's first term
• Policy vs. outcomes confusion: The sources emphasize policy changes and goals ^[4] rather than actual numerical outcomes, making it difficult to assess the real impact on total immigration numbers

The question appears straightforward but reveals a significant gap in publicly available comprehensive immigration data for Trump's first term.