The number of people deported from the United States does rise and fall every year, but looking at the long-term statistics can help you see how this issue has been handled historically. And what you’ll find is that the most recent years, going back to the 90s, have shown an incredible increase in deportations.
For instance, the number of deportations per year could generally be counted in the tens of thousands or less prior to Bill Clinton coming to power as president. When that occurred, he was the first president to deport an average of over 100,000 people per year. But the presidents who came after him have only increased that number more.
George W. Bush took office after Clinton, and he more than doubled the rate to more than 251,000 people per year. Bush was followed by President Barack Obama, who set the all-time high mark with more than 383,000 deportations per year, or a grand total of more than three million people – more than a million more individuals than Bush. President Donald Trump reduced these numbers slightly and deported more than 275,000 people per year, which is slightly more than George W. Bush and notably less than Barack Obama.
What will this mean for the future?
What is really telling is that there was a significant jump under Bill Clinton, and things have not turned around since then. Long gone are the days of President McKinley deporting only 3,528 people or John F. Kennedy deporting just under 8,000.
This suggests that the trend will continue and deportations will be an often-used method in the United States. The numbers will certainly rise and fall as they have all along, but will they ever get back under 100,000 people? What does the increasing world population have to do with these figures? Will any new regulations be put in place to try to curb the number of deportations, which are high for both political parties?
Only the future can tell, but it’s clear that those who are facing deportation will certainly need to know about all of the legal options at their disposal.
