Fact check: How many illegal immigrant deportations by past 6 presidents of the USA?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available analyses, here are the deportation numbers for recent U.S. presidents:

Barack Obama (2009-2017):

• 3.1 million total deportations across his eight-year presidency ^{[1] [2]}
• Broke down as 1.6 million in his first term and 1.5 million in his second term ^[3]

Donald Trump (2017-2021):

• 1.4 million total deportations during his four-year presidency ^[1]
• Alternative figures show 1.2 million ^[3] and fewer than 932,000 ^[2]
• Trump's deportation pace was significantly lower than Obama's, despite rhetoric about increased enforcement ^[2]

Joe Biden (2021-2025):

• 3.4 million total removals including deportations and expulsions ^[1]
• 682,000 people removed according to one source ^[3]
• Nearly 4.4 million repatriations (including deportations and expulsions), which is more than any single presidential term since George W. Bush ^[4]

Current Trump Administration ^[5]:

• In the first 100 days of Trump's second term, ICE arrested 66,463 illegal aliens and removed 65,682 aliens ^[6]
• Current pace suggests around 500,000 deportations annually, which is fewer than the 685,000 deportations recorded in fiscal year 2024 under Biden ^[7]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks several crucial pieces of context:

• Definitional differences matter significantly - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security distinguishes between "removals" (formal deportations) and "returns" or "expulsions," which affects how numbers are calculated and compared ^[1]
• Obama was known as the "Deporter-in-Chief" despite being a Democratic president, logging more deportations than Trump despite Trump's aggressive anti-immigration rhetoric ^[2]
• Data availability varies by administration - The Trump administration did not regularly release deportation numbers, making comprehensive comparisons difficult ^[3]
• The question asks for 6 presidents but the analyses only provide data for 3-4 recent presidents (Obama, Trump, Biden, and current Trump term), missing data for George W. Bush, Clinton, and George H.W. Bush
• Political motivations influence reporting - Immigration advocacy groups and political opponents benefit from emphasizing different aspects of these numbers depending on which narrative serves their interests

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question appears neutral but contains an implicit assumption that may lead to biased interpretations:

• The term "illegal immigrant deportations" uses politically charged language - More neutral terms would be "undocumented immigrant removals" or simply "deportations"
• The question assumes comprehensive data exists for all 6 presidents, when in reality, data collection methods and transparency have varied significantly across administrations ^[3]
• Without proper context about different types of removals, the raw numbers can be misleading and used to support various political narratives about immigration enforcement effectiveness
• The framing could be used to either criticize or praise different administrations depending on which numbers are emphasized and how they're contextualized, benefiting political operatives and media organizations seeking to advance particular immigration policy positions