Key figures
- The chart compares “Total Cases” and “Deportation” for 11 presidential terms, from Ronald Reagan’s first term to the first two years of Joe Biden’s.
- Bill Clinton’s second term has the highest values on both measures: 6,744,723 total cases and 6,922,376 deportations.
- The lowest deportation figure is Donald Trump’s term at 2,002,179, just below Barack Obama’s second term at 2,073,208.
- Joe Biden’s bar covers only 2021 and 2022: 4,449,599 total cases and 2,808,946 deportations.
All figures are from the graphic, which cites the US 2022 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics from the Department of Homeland Security.
Deportations by president in text
Title: Deportations under US Presidents (1981-2022). Subtitle: US 2022 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics – Department of Homeland Security. Legend: Total Cases (red), Deportation (blue). Both vertical axes run from 0 to 8,000,000.
| Term (label on the chart) | Fiscal years (our matching) | Total Cases | Deportation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ronald Reagan 1st | 1981 to 1984 | 4,444,364 | 3,548,382 |
| Ronald Reagan 2nd | 1985 to 1988 | 5,314,782 | 4,728,471 |
| George H. W. Bush | 1989 to 1992 | 4,580,538 | 4,161,683 |
| Bill Clinton 1st | 1993 to 1996 | 5,466,520 | 5,368,529 |
| Bill Clinton 2nd | 1997 to 2000 | 6,744,723 | 6,922,376 |
| George W. Bush 1st | 2001 to 2004 | 4,760,410 | 5,279,314 |
| George W. Bush 2nd | 2005 to 2008 | 4,501,905 | 5,049,536 |
| Barack Obama 1st | 2009 to 2012 | 3,160,140 | 3,175,685 |
| Barack Obama 2nd | 2013 to 2016 | 2,871,899 | 2,073,208 |
| Donald Trump | 2017 to 2020 | 3,132,269 | 2,002,179 |
| Joe Biden | 2021 to 2022 | 4,449,599 | 2,808,946 |
The chart does not print the years for each term. The fiscal year column is our own matching: every figure on the chart equals the sum of those fiscal years in the DHS tables (see below).
What the two measures mean
The chart does not define its terms, and readers of the original Reddit post asked what “total cases” meant [1]. Checking the figures against the DHS Yearbook answers that.
- Deportation equals removals plus returns, plus Title 42 expulsions from 2020, summed by fiscal year from Table 39 [2]. DHS defines a removal as the compulsory and confirmed movement of a deportable noncitizen out of the US based on an order of removal, with consequences on later reentry. A return is a confirmed movement out of the US that is not based on an order of removal. Title 42 expulsions were made on public health grounds in response to COVID-19 [2].
- Total Cases equals noncitizen apprehensions, summed by fiscal year from Table 33, which from 2020 also counts encounters that ended in Title 42 expulsions [3].
Because returns and expulsions are included, the “Deportation” totals are much larger than formal removals, and the two measures can exceed each other in either direction. Removals alone change the picture, so they are set out here from the same DHS table (our arithmetic):
| Term | Removals only (our sum of DHS Table 39) |
|---|---|
| Ronald Reagan 1st | 70,502 |
| Ronald Reagan 2nd | 97,862 |
| George H. W. Bush | 141,326 |
| Bill Clinton 1st | 208,820 |
| Bill Clinton 2nd | 660,826 |
| George W. Bush 1st | 805,957 |
| George W. Bush 2nd | 1,206,582 |
| Barack Obama 1st | 1,568,180 |
| Barack Obama 2nd | 1,494,286 |
| Donald Trump | 1,196,427 |
| Joe Biden | 194,516 |
On removals alone, the highest totals are Barack Obama’s first term at 1,568,180 and his second at 1,494,286. Returns made up most of the totals before the late 2000s: in fiscal 1986, for example, DHS records 24,592 removals and 1,586,320 returns [2].
Notes on this infographic
- US fiscal years run from October to September, so each term on the chart starts in the October before the president took office. Fiscal 1981, counted under Ronald Reagan here, began in October 1980.
- Joe Biden’s bar covers two fiscal years (2021 and 2022), not a full term, because the 2022 Yearbook ends there. Fiscal 2021 began in October 2020. It is not directly comparable with the four-year bars.
- From 2020 both measures include Title 42 expulsions: 206,770 in fiscal 2020, 1,071,074 in 2021 and 1,103,966 in 2022 [2]. Without them the Trump and Biden “Deportation” totals would be 1,795,409 and 633,906 (our arithmetic).
- Apprehensions count events, not people, and DHS notes several changes in what the series covers over time [3].
- The graphic has no creator credit. It matches a chart posted to Reddit’s r/dataisbeautiful by u/delivermeapizza [1].
Questions about deportations by president
How many people did Bill Clinton deport?
The chart gives 5,368,529 for his first term and 6,922,376 for his second, counting removals and returns. Formal removals alone were 208,820 and 660,826 in those fiscal years, 869,646 in total (our sums of DHS Table 39) [2].
How many people has each president deported?
The table above gives the chart’s “Deportation” figure for each term, and the second table gives formal removals only, both from the DHS Yearbook [2].
How many people did Ronald Reagan deport?
The chart shows 3,548,382 in his first term and 4,728,471 in his second, mostly returns. Removals alone were 70,502 and 97,862 (our sums of DHS Table 39) [2].
Which presidents deported the most immigrants?
On the chart’s measure, Bill Clinton’s second term is highest at 6,922,376. Counting formal removals only, Barack Obama’s two terms are highest, at 1,568,180 and 1,494,286 [2].
Sources
- u/delivermeapizza, [OC] Deportations and Total Cases under US Presidents (1981-2022), r/dataisbeautiful. The original post of this graphic.
- Office of Homeland Security Statistics, Yearbook 2022, Table 39. Noncitizen Removals, Returns, and Expulsions, Fiscal Years 1892 to 2022 (archived copy).
- Office of Homeland Security Statistics, Yearbook 2022, Table 33. Title 42 Expulsions and Noncitizen Apprehensions, Fiscal Years 1925 to 2022 (archived copy).
Last reviewed 30 October 2026
