Given Donald Trump’s strong anti-immigration rhetoric and promises of mass deportations, it might seem surprising that the number of deportations during his presidency actually dropped compared to previous administrations. Even more surprising is the fact that the Biden administration has maintained a similar pace of deportations.
Trump deported over 1.5 million people during his four years in office. However, this figure is significantly lower than the 2.9 million deportations during Barack Obama’s first term and fewer than Obama’s 1.9 million deportations during his second term. Biden’s deportations, meanwhile, are on par with Trump’s, at 1.49 million so far.
However, these numbers require context. During Biden’s term, deportations have been largely border-focused, while Trump’s and Obama’s figures included a higher proportion of deportations from the interior of the country. Additionally, changing migration patterns have posed logistical and diplomatic challenges. Today, undocumented immigrants are more likely to come from outside of Mexico and in family units, complicating repatriation efforts.
Several factors contributed to the decline in deportations during Trump’s presidency:
Shifts in Local Cooperation: Many local law enforcement agencies began limiting their cooperation with federal immigration authorities during Obama’s presidency, a trend that accelerated under Trump.
Unintended Policy Consequences: Trump’s broad approach to targeting all undocumented immigrants, rather than focusing on individuals with criminal records, had unforeseen consequences. This policy filled detention centers with asylum-seekers and families, leaving less capacity to detain individuals deemed public safety threats.
Overwhelmed Systems: The U.S. immigration system is outdated and under-resourced, with a backlog of 1.3 million people who have received removal orders but have not been deported. Trump’s policies strained these resources even further without significantly increasing deportations.
Despite Trump’s promises of increased deportations if he returns to office, the practical challenges remain immense. The system would require a massive expansion of detention centers and resources to process millions of people, which experts argue is logistically and financially unrealistic.
Former ICE officials warn that mass deportation efforts could bypass due process, risking harm to mixed-status families, where undocumented parents live with U.S. citizen children.
Trump’s immigration policies brought international attention to the U.S. border but did not result in the large-scale deportations he initially promised. Meanwhile, Biden’s administration faces ongoing challenges at the border while navigating a complex and resource-strained immigration system.
Ultimately, the decline in deportations during Trump’s presidency underscores the complexities of U.S. immigration policy and the limits of political rhetoric when confronted with systemic realities.