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Fact check: How do Trump's deportation numbers compare to Obama and Biden administrations?
Checked on June 9, 2025
1. Summary of the results
The deportation numbers across administrations show significant variations:
- Obama Administration (2009-2016): Oversaw the highest number of deportations with approximately 5.3 million removals across two terms [1], breaking down to about 1.57 million in his first term and 1.49 million in his second term [2].
- Trump Administration (2017-2020): Recorded approximately 2.1 million total removals during his first term [1], including 1.2 million through formal removal orders and 805,770 through self-deportation or border turnbacks [2].
- Biden Administration (2021-2024): Has removed over 4.6 million people between January 2021 and November 2024, with a peak of 147,080 removals in March 2022 [1]. However, this number includes Title 42 pandemic-era expulsions [1].
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
- Historical Party Trends: From 1990 to 2018, Democratic presidents were responsible for 60% of deportations, with a higher annual average [3] [4] compared to Republican presidents [5] [6] [7].
- Different Types of Removals: The numbers include various categories of deportations:
- Formal removal orders
- Self-deportations
- Border turnbacks
- Title 42 expulsions (specific to the pandemic era)
- Monthly Variations: There are significant monthly fluctuations in deportation numbers. For example, Trump's administration saw 91,120 removals in October 2020 [1], while Biden's administration recorded 48,970 in November 2024 [1].
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
- Oversimplification Risk: Simply comparing raw numbers across administrations can be misleading without considering:
- Different policy contexts (such as Title 42 during the pandemic)
- Various types of removals counted
- Length of terms (Obama's two terms vs. Trump's one term)
- Political Narratives: Both political parties have vested interests in how these numbers are presented:
- Democrats might emphasize Trump's lower numbers to counter his tough immigration stance
- Republicans might focus on specific time periods or exclude certain categories to support their narrative
- Trump's current rhetoric promises increased deportations in a potential second term [8], suggesting these numbers are being used for political positioning
Want to dive deeper?
What were the total deportation numbers under Trump's presidency compared to previous administrations?
How did Obama's deportation policies differ from Trump's immigration enforcement approach?
What are Biden's current deportation statistics and how do they compare to his predecessors?
Which president had the highest number of deportations in US history?
How do immigration enforcement priorities differ between Republican and Democratic administrations?