Posted by Deport Nation on Friday, August 20, 2010 ·
Majority of those deported are non-criminals
A newly released ICE annual report on Immigration Enforcement Actions tallies up apprehensions, detentions and deportations by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The figures include data from ICE and Customs and Border Patrol (CPB). Just like other recently released data, the report makes it clear ‘criminal aliens’ account for no more than a quarter of deportations.
DHS Apprehensions 613,000
ICE Detentions 383,000
Deportations 393,000
Total Known Criminal Aliens 128,000
Total Returned Without Removal Order 580,000
While reading through the report’s definitions of enforcement terms, we were struck by how many deportations can occur without a hearing before an immigration judge – administration removal, expedited removal and reinstatement of final removal orders.
Expedited removals increased 10 percent
Non-expedited removals increased 17 percent
Read the full report below, or click for a larger view so you can help highlight and add notes.
Secure Communities draws critical reports, editorials
This week The New York Times ran an editorial that critiques Secure Communities for straying from its mission, defined by ICE “as an effort to catch and deport ‘the worst of the worst,’ the violent criminals, drug and gun smugglers, gang members and other dangerous aliens.” The editorial notes:
“records show that a vast majority, 79 percent, of people deported under Secure Communities had no criminal records or had been picked up for low-level offenses, like traffic violations and juvenile mischief. Of the approximately 47,000 people deported in that period only about 20 percent had been charged with or convicted of serious “Level 1” crimes, like assault and drug dealing.
The authors of this website also produced a critical report about Secure Communities, this one for PBS Need to Know:
Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.
Five more Texas counties added to Secure Communities
Despite concerns, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced this week that five more counties have activated Secure Communities, bringing Texas closer to full coverage. They are scattered across the Lone Star State and include Borden, Gaines, Mitchell, Scurry and Sterling counties.
About 75 percent of Texas jurisdictions – 193 of 260 – participate in the program (see the full list here). ICE Houston Field Office Director Kenneth L. Landgrebe told Deportation Nation that ICE expects all of Texas to be enrolled in Secure Communities before the end of 2010.
Am I missing something? This author and the New York Times does a critical piece on a program that is obviously working and try to make it look like a bad thing. First of all, all illegals are criminals. They have committed at a minimum a misdemeanor for crossing the border illegally or overstaying their VISAs. If they are working they and their employers are in violation of Federal law. Also many of them provide a fake or stolen SSN to be able to work. This is a felony in most states. So to portray all of these “POOR IMMIGRANTS” as law abiding simple hard working people is ridiculous on the authors part.
Is the author advocating that these crimes already committed be overlooked by law enforcement and our society? If so why are they not calling for the same treatment be given to a legal resident of this country? Should we forgive a misdemeanor for every legal resident that has committed one? If you are for the illegals not being charged for crossing the border but answer no to erasing a legal residents misdemeanor then you are disingenuous and showing favortism to a group that has no right to be here in the first place.
The bottom line is that this program is working and it is causing the left wing progressive liberal open borders crowd to wring their hands and cry foul. Every illegal found in the U.S. should be detained and deported. They have no right to be here and should not get a free pass in front of all the people around the world that are and have been waiting patiently to come to our great Nation.
Michael – Yes, you seem to be missing something.
First, undocumented immigrants are not criminals. Ask DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano. Enter the U.S. without authorization is a civil offense, not criminal. Deportation is a civil procedure.
Second, regardless of where we stand on undocumented immigration – and chances are we do not agree on it – my guess it that we can at least agree that we would prefer ICE to prioritize apprehending and deporting the violent criminals as opposed to the people who are just in the country without proper documentation – about 50% of whom have U.S. citizen children that we would be taking them away from. Given that there are estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. and deporting them all would be extremely time consuming and expensive, if not downright impossible, I for one would prefer that my government give greatest priority to deporting the actual dangerous ones.