Donald Trump’s rhetoric on immigration was notably tougher, but the statistics reveal a different reality when compared to Barack Obama’s initial term.
In his first year as president, Donald Trump’s administration deported 177,000 fewer immigrants than Barack Obama did in 2009, his first year in the White House. This is according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
While attempts to cross the U.S.-Mexico border decreased by nearly 150,000, interior immigration arrests within the U.S. rose by 25% to 143,470. This figure marks a three-year high.
Of the total deportations, 128,765 were Mexican nationals, a 15% decrease compared to the previous year.
The countries of the Northern Triangle of Central America (Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador) followed with the next highest numbers of deportations: 33,570 (-1%), 22,381 (+1%), and 18,838 (-9%), respectively.
The Trump administration considers the 25% drop in arrests (310,531) by Border Patrol at the U.S.-Mexico border a success. They believe this figure, the lowest in nearly half a century, indicates that the new president’s policies have had a deterrent effect.
Image showing the US-Mexico border fence, highlighting discussions around immigration enforcement and border security policies.
Approximately three million undocumented immigrants were deported from the U.S. during Obama’s eight years in office.
In comparison, during his two terms, Republican President George W. Bush’s administration deported 2.01 million people.
Historically, no president has deported more individuals than Barack Obama. Due to his deportation record, leaders within the Latino community labeled Obama “Deporter in Chief.”
Image of Border Patrol agents on duty, representing the enforcement efforts at the US-Mexico border and interior enforcement actions.
In conclusion, while President Trump’s public stance on immigration was perceived as stricter, the data from his first year in office reveals that Barack Obama’s administration deported a significantly larger number of individuals during his initial year. Obama’s overall deportation numbers throughout his presidency also surpassed those of his predecessors, earning him the controversial title within some communities.
