FACT CHECK: NBC Debate Moderator José Diaz-Balart Falsely Claims Obama Deported ‘3 Million Americans’

Noticias Telemundo host and Democratic presidential debate moderator José Díaz-Balart falsely claimed Thursday that President Barack Obama deported “three million Americans.”

“The Obama-Biden administration deported more than 3 million Americans,” Díaz-Balart said in a question addressed to Joe Biden.

That statement is false. Foreign nationals are deported from the United State, not citizens.

As president, Obama was dubbed “deporter in chief” by pro-immigration activists and groups, as deportations of illegal aliens — not American citizens — totaled hundreds of thousands under his tenure. By the time he left the White House in January 2017, the number of illegal immigrants deported by Obama had reached nearly 3 million. Indeed, as ABC News reported in August 2016, Obama had deported “more people than any other president’s administration in history.”

Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.