Trump, Obama, and Deportation

The news has been absolutely terrifying lately. To think we live in a world where a police entity can fake a warrant, kick in your door, remove you from your home, and take you away is nothing short of an excerpt out of a horror story. Social media is no better. -Esepcially if your algorithm has been supplying you with a steady stream of world events and politics since Israel began their genocide on Gaza.

If you live under a rock, you’ll note that ICE and mass deportations have been the subject of news and controversy as of late. One of the more notable and less humbling elements of this subject is the murder of Renee Good, a mother of three from Minneapolis who was shot in the head while trying to drive away from ICE agents. This has been extremely appaling to me and serves as a fine example of the level of love and care that the right holds in their hearts. The ones who preach Christian ideals in the home are the first to celebrate when a mother of three is shot dead.

Yes, I’m angry. I think any sane person with half a brain or a heart would. But, I digress. That’s not the purpose of this work.

No, I am here merely to correct the oversimplification of “Obama deported 3.1 million illegal immigrants during his administration. You didn’t care then!” As if it needed to be corrected in any form, when dealing with the MAGA cult, you’ll frequently find oversimplification and misunderstanding to justify their level of Nazism.

So let’s talk about Obama’s deportation of 3.1 million people.

From 2009-2017, the DOJ and DHS focused deportations on those with criminal records and recent border crossers after 2014 policy changes. Those removals included a mix of border returnees and interior enforcement. Interior raids that didn’t meet DHS priorities were sometimes scaled back or deprioritized. immigrantion enforcement occurred within legal norms and proceedures, even if they were criticized for high removal totals.

During the latest Trump administration, first and second terms, the public rhetoric and operation style have been far more publicly aggressive and militarized. ICE recruits consist of January 6th “Proud Boys” and convicts who hold allegience to Trump. Operations like Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota have involved heavy federal enforcement presence and violent encounters, including the shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent, as well as other incidents that sparked public protest.

There are widespread reports of ICE detaining US citizens mistakenly and confrontational tactics that go beyond traditional court-ordered deportation proceedings.

To make matters worse, the DOJ and DHS under Trump stonewall any inquiry and refuse to make any formal statements other than decrying “liberal hoax” and “media bias” when asked for statements of accountability and oversight.

So, while Obama’s removals were numerous, enforcement was generally procedural and focused on specific priorities while Trump’s current enforcement is characterized by high-visibility, confrontational tactics that seem to target anyone who isn’t white; ignoring their constitutional rights and refusing to re-evalute their policy. Making the oversimplification of “Obama did it too” while completely ignoring the important elements: legality, civil rights, due process, and oversight are what set this apart and are the sole reason for the public disapproving of Trump’s methods.

No matter which way you look at it, Obama acted within the law, no innocent people were shot in the head, and American citizens were mistakenly detained or denied their right to due process.