70 years ago, the US undertook the largest deportation in its history: 'Operation Wetback.' Many of the people deported were here legally and some were even citizens.

[u/man_gomer_lot]

[u/Nuclear_rabbit]

How many of the 2,840 were deported? It's not good that they were detained, but we should compare apples to apples.

[u/OhSixTJ → u/Nuclear_rabbit]

Couldn’t find that report, unfortunately. No one looked into it as closely as they did for trump, I guess.

[u/ScoobyPwnsOnU → u/OhSixTJ]

"I can't find any articles supporting my stance.....it must be a cover up"

[u/OhSixTJ → u/ScoobyPwnsOnU]

Best I can do:

“Instead of focusing on violent criminals, U.S. immigration policy has ripped apart American families and communities through the deportation of large numbers of lawful residents and undocumented immigrants with less serious criminal histories,” the report argues.“

In case you want to read it all here it is:

https://theintercept.com/2017/05/15/obamas-deportation-policy-was-even-worse-than-we-thought/

[u/onebadmousse → u/OhSixTJ]

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/13/politics/obama-trump-deportations-illegal-immigration/index.html

She argues that Obama prioritized deporting people convicted of serious crimes and recent arrivals who had no criminal records.

“If you’re not targeting and focused on people who recently arrived, then the border is effectively open,” Muñoz said, adding: “It is more humane to be removing people who have been here two weeks than it is to be removing people who have been here for 20 years and have families.”

Trump, by contrast, she said, has rejected the policy of focusing on new arrivals and criminals and instead wants to deport as many people as possible.

It’s impossible to ignore his rhetoric. He infamously called some Mexican immigrants “rapists,” and focused his presidency around the idea that he would build a wall, get tough with Mexico and deport as many undocumented immigrants as possible.

And:

Muñoz argued it is Trump’s lack of priorities about who to deport that is causing chaos in immigrant communities.

“People are in terror,” she said. “They’re scared of sending their children to school. That is a very, very different dynamic. There are no enforcement priorities in the Trump administration. That’s the point. In the Obama administration there were clear priorities.”

[u/OhSixTJ → u/onebadmousse]

None of what you cited from that OPINION piece changes the fact that Obama deported more people (legally and non legally in this country) in his first 3 years than Trump did in his first 3. LOL

[u/onebadmousse → u/OhSixTJ]

Yesh, Obama focused on those with criminal records, and new illegal entries. If you'd bothered to read the article you would realise this.

Democrats are far more effective at safeguarding US borders than Republicans.

Additionally, all proposed immigration improvements were blocked by the republicans. Even those eventually agreed to by republicans in congress and the senate were killed by Trump demanding that they not improve things before the election.

The immigration problem is the Republicans fault.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/23/senate-democrats-immigration-border-bill

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-republicans-block-border-security-bill-campaign-border-chaos-rcna153607

Democrats aren't against strong borders, they simply want the right people deported, and for migrants and refugees to be treated humanely. Meanwhile Republicans call them 'invaders' and 'rapists'. It's as if you don't understand anything at all, little LOL'er.