Arrests and Deportations Under Trump Generally Lower Than Under Obama

According to a recent article in the Washington Post that analyzed ICE’s annual report for FY2019, ICE deported approximately 12,000 family members and unaccompanied minors of the 540,000 who crossed the border, far fewer than the millions President Trump pledged to arrest and deport. While the number of families deported increased and overall ICE deported more than 267,000 people in FY2019 – representing an uptick of 4 percent from FY2018 – the Trump Administration has deported a significantly lower number of people than did the Obama Administration. Under Obama, some 400,000 people were deported annually midway through his Administration. Arrests inside the United States, which target convicted criminals, also hit their lowest point since Trump took office.