ICE

The meme you shared is a common one that circulates on social media (often labeled as "Fact X"), comparing deportation numbers under Presidents Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama, and Trump (first term), while claiming zero protests/riots under Clinton, Bush, and Obama but 350 under Trump.

The deportation figures are **partially accurate but misleading** due to inconsistent definitions of "deportations." Official U.S. government data (from DHS and ICE) distinguishes between:

- **Removals** (formal deportations with legal consequences, often from the interior U.S., requiring court orders).

- **Returns** (mostly quick turnbacks at the border, without formal orders; these dominate high totals under earlier presidents).

The meme uses the **broader total** (removals + returns) for Clinton (12.5 million), Bush (10.3 million), and Obama (5.2 million), but switches to a much **narrower removals-only** figure for Trump (1.5 million). This apples-to-oranges comparison inflates the numbers for the first three while understating Trump's.

Reliable sources (Migration Policy Institute, DHS yearbooks, FactCheck.org, Cato Institute) show:

- **Clinton (1993–2000)**: ~12.3 million total (removals + returns), but only ~827,000–2 million formal removals (93% were border returns).

- **George W. Bush (2001–2008)**: ~10.3 million total (removals + returns), with ~2 million formal removals (81% returns).

- **Obama (2009–2016)**: ~5 million total (removals + returns), but ~3 million formal removals (highest for removals, earning the "Deporter in Chief" label from critics).

- **Trump (first term, 2017–2020)**: ~1.5–2 million total (removals + returns; lower overall due to fewer border crossings in later years and policy shifts).

If using consistent metrics (e.g., formal removals), Obama deported the most (~3 million), followed by Bush (~2 million), with Clinton and Trump lower. The meme's "0 protests/riots" claim for Clinton/Bush/Obama is also **false or exaggerated** — protests occurred under all administrations (e.g., against family separations, workplace raids, and high removals under Obama), but large-scale riots tied directly to deportations were limited. Under Trump's first term, protests were notable (e.g., against family separations and travel bans), but the "350" figure appears unsubstantiated or invented (no major source confirms exactly that number of protests/riots specifically from deportations).

The meme selectively uses data to imply hypocrisy in public reactions (more outrage under Trump despite fewer deportations), but ignores context: protests often stem from policy tactics (e.g., raids on families vs. border turnbacks), not just raw numbers. Border returns (common under Clinton/Bush) rarely sparked the same backlash as interior removals targeting long-term residents.

In short, the meme cherry-picks and distorts statistics for political effect. Deportation enforcement happened under both parties, with varying approaches and public responses.

Henry McClure  
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