As discussions around immigration policies continue to evolve, comparisons between the deportation records of former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump have come to the forefront. During his two terms in office, Obama oversaw approximately 5.3 million returns and removals of illegal migrants, earning him the moniker 'deporter-in-chief.' In contrast, Trump's administration carried out around 1.8 million returns and removals during his first term, significantly fewer than Obama's initial four years.
Under the current Biden administration, the number of returns and removals initially decreased but has since started to rise. In fiscal year 2024, there were approximately 700,000 returns and removals, marking the highest figure since 2010. This uptick follows a record number of southwest border encounters in 2023, with over 2.4 million illegal migrants entering the country.
