During President Barack Obama's administration, approximately 2.5 million unauthorized immigrants were deported from 2009 to 2015, with a peak year in 2013 when about 438,421 people were deported. In fiscal year 2014 alone, around 414,481 unauthorized immigrants were removed, which was a slight decline from the previous year but still near record highs. Over his entire two terms, Obama oversaw roughly 5.3 million returns and removals of illegal migrants, a figure that includes both deportations and voluntary returns or removals at the border. This number is higher than the deportations carried out during the first term of President Trump, who deported about 1.8 million in comparison
. The Obama administration's deportation strategy focused heavily on removing immigrants with criminal records, recent border crossers, and those considered threats to public safety. This enforcement approach led to criticism from immigrant rights advocates who felt the administration was too harsh despite its efforts to prioritize certain groups for deportation
