2020 Dems Attack Biden for Deportations Under Obama: ‘You Can’t Have it Both Ways’
2020 Election,Democratic Party,Democratic Debates,Detroit,Joe Biden,Elections
Democratic presidential candidates had stern words for frontrunner Joe Biden during Wednesday night’s primary debate, calling on the former vice president to explain the deportations of undocumented immigrants that occurred under President Obama.
“If you cross the border illegally, you should be able to be sent back. It’s a crime,” Biden said, disagreeing with several other candidates who said the matter should be a civil rather than a criminal issue.
President Obama, who was nicknamed the “deporter-in-chief” in 2012 by immigration rights advocates, deported or removed over 5 million undocumented immigrants, fewer than the Clinton and Bush administrations did but more than the Trump administration has.
Related Coverage
AllSides Picks
Headline Roundup
Elon Musk Reportedly Reviving America PAC Ahead of Midterm Elections
July 30th, 2026
Headline Roundup
Maine Democrats Turn To Troy Jackson After Platner Exits Senate Race
July 26th, 2026
Recommended Reading
When Trump and the Democrats Scare Their Supporters
Dan Schnur
July 20th, 2026
The Insight
The Insight: How Bias and Hypocrisy Skew Sexual Assault Cases in Politics
AllSides Staff
July 10th, 2026