Full Breakdown
Revised Deportation Count Includes Border Patrol Removals
5/22/2026, 11:51:36 PM
Obama-Era Counting Controversy
In President Barack Obama’s tenure, Republican lawmakers objected to aggregating Border Patrol apprehensions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) removals. In a 2012 press release, then-House Judiciary Committee Chair Lamar Smith (R-Texas) called the method “dishonest” and demanded agency documents.
Principal Actors in the Counting Debate
- President Donald Trump – promoted the revised counting approach.
- Tom Homan – White House Border Czar who said deportation totals now combine CBP and ICE removals.
- Lamar Smith – former House Judiciary Committee Chair who called the Obama-era counting method “dishonest.”
- Greg Bovino – former CBP commander-at-large, critic of Homan’s plan.
Deportation Numbers and Targets
Administration and Congressional Statements
Tom Homan told the Washington Examiner the administration is “looking at the numbers, pull the numbers together,” aligning the tally with the Obama-era approach. Lamar Smith said counting Border Patrol apprehensions as ICE removals is misleading and urged agency transparency.
Critics Challenge the Counting Method
Greg Bovino criticized Homan’s plan on X, saying it “rounds up the ones who already have known criminal records” and leaves “100 million other undocumented immigrants” unaddressed. He called mass deportations essential and less aggressive measures “political theater.” No quantitative evidence was offered.
Discrepancies and Missing Data
Sources differ on the counting method: the administration describes it as an aggregation, while Republican critics call it “dishonest” and “spin.” The report does not reveal how many are classified as “quickly removed” versus traditional ICE removals, creating a data gap.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Deportations are over 800,000, counting the Border Patrol too. We're trying to do the same thing we did during the Obama administration, looking at the numbers, pull the numbers together,” — Tom Homan, White House Border Czar
- “It seems like President Obama is trying to trick the American people into thinking he is enforcing our immigration laws,” — Lamar Smith, former House Judiciary Committee Chair
- “But zoom in. All he’s actually promising is rounding up the ones who already have known criminal records.” — Greg Bovino, former CBP commander-at-large
- “anything less is just political theater.” — Greg Bovino, former CBP commander-at-large
Future Oversight and Investigations
Congressional committees have sought agency documents to verify deportation counts. Lawmakers and watchdog groups are expected to intensify scrutiny as the administration nears its one-million-deportation target, likely prompting further inquiries.
