Despite a larger number of deportations in fiscal 2018 than 2017, the Trump administration’s deportation levels still fall below those under the early years of the Obama administration, according to an Axios report.

Under the Obama administration, deportations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials surpassed 385,000 each year between fiscal 2009 and 2011, Axios reports, citing data from the Department of Homeland Security.

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In fiscal 2012, deportations hit a high of more than 409,000, the outlet reports.

But toward the end of Obama’s second term, in fiscal 2015 and 2016, deportations fell below 250,000 people per year.

By comparison, ICE deportations under President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE dropped to about 226,000 in fiscal 2017, according to Axios. This number jumped to more than 250,000 in fiscal 2018.

The Trump administration hit its highest total yet this fiscal year, with more than 282,000 deportations as of June.

Trump has made immigration a core issue for his administration since he took office.

On Monday, he issued a surprise announcement threatening to deport “millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States.”

Next week ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States. They will be removed as fast as they come in. Mexico, using their strong immigration laws, is doing a very good job of stopping people....... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 17, 2019

Acting ICE Director Mark Morgan said following Trump’s announcement that while his agency is committed to removing as many undocumented immigrants as it can, it doesn’t “have the resources to deport, you know, 11 million people in a short period of time.”