Obama Era Deportations
Although the Obama administration advocated for programs such as DACA and DAPA, it also broke deportation records, with over 400,000 forced removals of noncitizens in 2012 alone. During Obama’s eight years in office, nearly 3 million people were involuntarily deported.
In Obama’s first term, ICE expanded a Bush-era program known as Secure Communities, a program focused on identifying and deporting noncitizens, regardless of their residency status, if they were arrested and found in FBI and DHS criminal and immigration databases. The high volume of deportations that resulted earned Obama the disparaging title of “deporter in chief” even though his administration dramatically reduced the number of “returns” – noncitizens apprehended at the border who voluntarily agreed to withdraw their application for admission or to accept a voluntary order of departure. The number of returns fell from 11.4 million under President Clinton to 8.3 million under George W. Bush to 2.1 million under Obama.
For many who were apprehended at the border, there were advantages to “voluntarily” returning across the border rather than face compulsory removal. The advantages centered around the opportunity to re-apply for admission at a much earlier date, and without penalties.
communities/”>Priority Enforcement Program (PEP), which focused ICE resources on serious criminal cases and threats to national security.
