Joe Biden made headlines for addressing illegal immigration at a town hall meeting in 2020 when he stated his promise not to deport anyone in his first 100 days as president if elected.
However, in an advertisement from a super PAC supporting former President Donald Trump that features Joe Biden only saying, “nobody’s going to be deported”, misleadingly suggesting his administration wouldn’t deport anyone here illegally.
AdImpact, a political ad tracking service, reported on May 1 that MAGA Inc’s 30-second advertisement began airing across Pennsylvania.
Tony Dokoupil of “CBS Mornings” says in the super PAC ad that Biden encouraged asylum seekers to come to America – which he did, while running as candidate – yet then goes on to say there would be no deportations if he were president, something Biden never mentioned during campaign season.
Super PAC Action Committee also produced at least one other ad featuring this deceptively shorted Biden quote regarding deportations proceedings in late March on digital platforms.
Biden provided this detailed transcript during that February 2020 CNN town hall to answer an audience member’s query regarding raids conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Biden stated on February 20, 2020: We have the right to secure our border; but my idea – and some may find this surprising – is that no one should be deported during my first 100 days until such time that we determine that any deportations is solely justified based on whether someone committed an illegal act while present in this country.
One month later, Biden further clarified his statement regarding deportations: the only basis being whether you had committed a felony while living here. At an April 2020 debate for Democratic presidential candidates he stated “Number two: no deportations will take place during my administration until there have been felonies committed within 100 days; thereafter deportation only occurs due to commission of felonies in America”.
Biden stated in both instances that his proposed moratorium of all deportations applications only applied during his first 100 days as president — contrary to what viewers may believe after viewing an edited clip in advertisements featuring Biden.
Biden took office as Secretary of Homeland Security on January 20, 2021; within 100 days after taking over his Department would still deport people regardless.
Pekoske issued a memorandum on Jan 20, 2021 outlining that any 100-day suspension of deportations orders for individuals found engaging in or suspected of terrorist acts or spying, or otherwise endangering U.S. national security would not apply; similarly excluded were anyone not already present at Nov 1, 2020 and any who waived their right to remain with ICE (formerly Immigration & Customs Enforcement or ICE), or whom an acting director determined had to be removed under federal law.
Additionally, this document stated that nothing contained herein prevented lawful apprehension and detention of individuals not identified here as priorities.
It didn’t last for long though; almost immediately it was challenged in court and first temporarily blocked for 14 days by a federal judge in Texas on Jan 26. Later that same judge indefinitely blocked it on Feb 24.
Biden would go on to deport hundreds of thousands, not just those with criminal convictions in America.
DHS reported 85,783 “removals,” defined by DHS as the mandatory and confirmed movement of inadmissible or deportable noncitizens out of the United States based on an order of removal in fiscal 2021 – this number increased significantly with Biden being president – rising to over 100,000 removals according to their most recent “Yearbook of Immigration Statistics.”
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s annual report published last December, at least 142,580 additional removals occurred last fiscal 2023.
People considered inadmissible or deportable but who agree voluntarily to depart before being ordered out do not count in these figures, nor those quickly expelled under Title 42 — an emergency public health order initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic that went into effect starting in 2020 and was quickly implemented during its peak outbreak period.
According to DHS’ most recent annual data release, more than 2.8 million removals, returns, and expulsions occurred between fiscal years 2021-2022 alone.
MAGA Inc. ads disregard these facts while expanding Biden’s proposed 100-day suspension of deportations into an indefinite policy halt.
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