President Obama held an “Open for Questions” question and answer session today with an Hispanic audience in which he rejected the idea that his Administration decreased deportations compared to President Bush’s and explained that he has pursued the Dream Act goals through administrative measures.

When a questioner suggested that Obama has kicked up deportations of illegal immigrants compared to the Bush era, Obama corrected that notion, saying that “the statistics are actually a little deceptive” on that issue because arrest-and-returns at the border have produced an exaggerated deportation number. “We’ve been much more effective on the borders,” he said,  “But we have not been more aggressive when it comes to dealing, for example, with DREAM Act kids.”