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Fact Check: Obama's administration deported 438,421 people in 2013, a record high.

Fact Check: Obama's administration deported 438,421 people in 2013, a record high.

Published June 21, 2025
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# Fact Check: "Obama's administration deported 438,421 people in 2013, a record high." ## What We Know In fiscal year 2013, the Obama administration ...

Fact Check: "Obama's administration deported 438,421 people in 2013, a record high."

What We Know

In fiscal year 2013, the Obama administration deported a record 438,421 unauthorized immigrants, as reported by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data. This figure marked an increase of approximately 20,000 deportations from the previous year (2012) and was part of a broader trend of heightened immigration enforcement during Obama's presidency, which saw over 2 million deportations since he took office (Pew Research Center, Texas Tribune).

The deportations included a significant number of individuals without prior criminal convictions, highlighting a shift in enforcement priorities. In 2013, around 240,000 of those deported had no criminal records, which was an increase from 218,000 in 2012 (Pew Research Center).

Analysis

The claim that Obama's administration deported 438,421 people in 2013 is substantiated by multiple reliable sources, including government statistics and reputable news outlets. The New York Times confirmed this record number, emphasizing that it reflects a continuing trend away from removals of individuals with criminal records and towards expedited removals of recent illegal crossers (New York Times).

The credibility of these sources is high; the New York Times and Pew Research Center are well-respected institutions known for their rigorous reporting and data analysis. Additionally, the Texas Tribune, which reported on the same statistics, is recognized for its focus on factual journalism regarding Texas and national issues (Texas Tribune).

Critics of the Obama administration, including immigrant rights advocates, have labeled him the "deporter in chief" due to the high number of deportations during his tenure. This criticism is rooted in the perception that the administration's policies disproportionately affected long-term residents and families (Texas Tribune).

While the statistics are clear, the context surrounding them is complex. The increase in deportations coincided with a rise in apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border, suggesting that enforcement strategies were adapting to changing migration patterns (Pew Research Center).

Conclusion

The claim that "Obama's administration deported 438,421 people in 2013, a record high" is True. The evidence from multiple credible sources confirms that this figure is accurate and reflects a significant aspect of the immigration enforcement policies during Obama's presidency.

Sources

  1. Deportations Surged in 2013, Data Shows - The New York Times
  2. U.S. deportations of immigrants reach record high in 2013 - Pew Research Center
  3. Obama Administration Breaks Own Deportation Record - Texas Tribune
  4. Latest Numbers Show Record-Breaking Deportations in 2013 - Immigration Impact
  5. Latest Numbers Show Record-Breaking Deportations in 2013 - American Immigration Council

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Miller isn’t concerned about the state of New York “society.” What bothers him is the idea of nonwhite people having political power. Bessent isn’t really deeply worried about Zamdani’s economic ideas. But he feels free, maybe even obliged, to slander a foreign-born Muslim with language he would never use about a white Christian politician, even if that politician were (like some of his colleagues in the Trump administration) a total crackpot. And while Tuberville stands out even within his caucus as an ignorant fool, his willingness to use dehumanizing language about millions of people shows that raw racism is rapidly becoming mainstream in American politics. Remember, during the campaign both Trump and JD Vance amplified the slanders about Haitians eating pets. And now that they’re in office, you can see the resurgence of raw racism all across Trump administration policies, large and small. You can see it, for example, in the cuts at the National Institutes of Health, which are so tilted against racial minorities that a federal judge — one appointed by Ronald Reagan! — declared I’ve never seen a record where racial discrimination was so palpable. I’ve sat on this bench now for 40 years. I’ve never seen government racial discrimination like this. You can see it in the renaming of military bases after Confederate generals — that is, traitors who fought for slavery. You can even see it in a change in the military’s shaving policy that is clearly custom-designed to drive Black men — who account for around a quarter of the Army’s new recruits — out of the service. So racism and bigotry are back, big time. Who’s safe? Nobody. Are you a legal immigrant? Well, the Supreme Court just allowed Trump to summarily strip half a million U.S. residents of that status, and only a fool would imagine that this is the end of the story. 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Detailed fact-check analysis of: Paul Krugman Paul Krugman We’re All Rats Now Time to take a stand, again, against racism Paul Krugman Jun 30, 2025 Zohran Mamdani’s upset victory in New York’s Democratic primary has created panic in MAGAland. Stephen Miller, the architect of Donald Trump’s deportation policies, waxed apocalyptic: Scott Bessent, the Treasury secretary, declared that New York is about to turn into “Caracas on the Hudson.” And Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama basically declared New York’s voters subhuman, saying: These inner-city rats, they live off the federal government. And that’s one reason we’re $37 trillion in debt. And it’s time we find these rats and we send them back home, that are living off the American taxpayers that are working very hard every week to pay taxes. These reactions are vile, and they’re also dishonest. Whatever these men may claim, it’s all about bigotry. Miller isn’t concerned about the state of New York “society.” What bothers him is the idea of nonwhite people having political power. Bessent isn’t really deeply worried about Zamdani’s economic ideas. But he feels free, maybe even obliged, to slander a foreign-born Muslim with language he would never use about a white Christian politician, even if that politician were (like some of his colleagues in the Trump administration) a total crackpot. And while Tuberville stands out even within his caucus as an ignorant fool, his willingness to use dehumanizing language about millions of people shows that raw racism is rapidly becoming mainstream in American politics. Remember, during the campaign both Trump and JD Vance amplified the slanders about Haitians eating pets. And now that they’re in office, you can see the resurgence of raw racism all across Trump administration policies, large and small. 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