Former First Lady Michelle Obama expressed alarm over President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation policies, claiming they keep her up at night.
Speaking on an episode of the “On Purpose with Jay Shetty” podcast, released Monday, Obama, 61, lamented the impact on migrants, particularly in her hometown of Chicago.
“In this current climate, for me it’s what’s happening to immigrants,” she said, describing it as her “recent test of fear.”
Acknowledging her privileged lifestyle, complete with a "four-car motorcade and police escort," she added, “It’s not the fear for myself anymore."
"I do still worry about my daughters in the world, even though they are somewhat recognizable.”
Obama, accompanied by her brother Craig Robinson, drew parallels between the systemic racism he faced as a child, when a black police officer accused him of stealing a fancy bike, and the plight of migrants today.
“There’s so much bias and so much racism and so much ignorance that fuels those kind of choices,” she said. “I worry for people of color all over this country, and I don’t know that we will have the advocates to protect everybody.
"And that … frightens me, it keeps me up at night," she continued. "How do you feel comfortable going to work, going to school, when you know that there could be people out here judging you and who could upend your life in a second – that's who I worry for right now."
She criticized leadership that “indiscriminately” determines “who belongs and who doesn’t,” alleging decisions are made without due process, though she avoided naming Trump directly.
Democrats have accused Trump of bypassing legal norms, citing his use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged gang members who entered illegally.
As Michelle clutches pearls over Trump’s deportations, she seems to have conveniently forgotten her husband’s record as Deporter-in-Chief.
The hypocrisy is thicker than a Chicago winter.
Ironically, the Obama administration deported over 3 million people — more than any administration in U.S. history.
From 2009 to 2016, Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed 3.1 million immigrants, peaking at 409,849 in 2012.
Known as the “Deporter-in-Chief” by critics, Barack Obama prioritized deportations of those with criminal records but also removed many non-criminals, drawing backlash from immigrant advocates.
In contrast, Trump’s first term, from 2017–2021, saw 2 million deportations, fewer than Obama’s total, according to Department of Homeland Security data. Though Trump’s rhetoric and policies, like his attempt to build a border wall, prompted Democrats to brand him a racist at every turn.
Trump’s second term has intensified efforts, with 271,484 removals in 2024 alone, targeting criminal aliens and using expedited processes.
Obama’s policies relied on formal ICE procedures, while Trump’s invoke wartime-era laws.
During the 2024 campaign, Michelle Obama stumped for Kamala Harris in 2024, blasting Trump’s policies..
She skipped Trump's January 2025 inauguration, citing a wardrobe issue.
“It started with not having anything to wear,” she said on her podcast IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson.
She also addressed speculation about her marriage, sparked by her absence from both the inauguration and President Jimmy Carter’s funeral.
“My decision to make choices at the beginning of this year that suited me was met with such ridicule and criticism,” she said as rumors swirled around Barack, claiming the former Democratic president was having an affair with actress Jennifer Aniston.
Michelle’s sleepless nights over migrants might hit harder if she acknowledged her husband’s deportation legacy. But self-reflection isn’t on the menu in Chicago’s elite circles, where moral grandstanding comes with a motorcade.
