A clip of President Barack Obama in 2010 warning that halting deportations would trigger a surge in illegal immigration is going viral. While some critics condemn the deportation of otherwise law-abiding illegal immigrants, others are argue such "mass deportations" were not only Trump’s flagship promise, but also a norm among past Democratic administrations. Obama was criticized by activists and media outlets during his presidency for deporting illegal immigrants who had little or no serious criminal history beyond crossing the border illegally. "President Obama shoots down the whole ‘stop deportations and just let the illegal immigrants be’ argument that the Democrat party is currently pushing," the account, @mazemoore, wrote. "And often this argument is framed in moral terms: Why should we punish people who are just trying to earn a living?