Immigration expert and Texas Tech University professor Miguel Levario, Ph.D., said if there is a decrease in immigration and deportation numbers, it is most likely due to our economy, as immigration waves pattern economical ones.
Lines gather on the inside as people wait to cross into America.
“The blanket statement is that this is a national policy, but if you look at the enforcement of that policy, it’s weighted more at targeting Mexicans or people crossing the Mexican border,” Levario said.
In a recent study conducted by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University, records obtained per Freedom of Information Act request display an in-depth look at these figures.
Both the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website and records obtained by TRAC show a total of 368,644 removals, or deportations, were conducted in the 2013 fiscal year.
The website also shows that 241,493 of those removals were Mexican citizens.
An undocumented citizen detained after being deported.
The ICE website further states that due to an increase in immigration removals of citizens from countries other than Mexico, ICE was allotted more resources — as border patrol agents deal mostly with Mexican nationals.
Furthermore, the ICE website indicates an estimated 106,700 of those individuals had criminal records, with an estimated 64,500 of those being serious crimes.
TRAC also shows that less than one-quarter of these deportations are for a serious offense, whereas the majority of removals stem from traffic or prior immigration violations.
According to the Federal Penal Code, these offenses are considered misdemeanor crimes as supported by TRAC.
TRAC records indicate there may be confusion between ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as jurisdictions overlap.
In the process of seeking information regarding an apprehension at the Del Rio, Texas, border, both CBP and ICE agents were confused about the jurisdiction — repeatedly denying responsibility for the case.
CBP agents eventually turned over requested information.
The TRAC website shows that both agencies did not want to assist with clarifying removal information so details about the statistics remain unclear.
Levario, whose research is focused on the militarization of the border, said the current administration has made ICE fulfill the agency’s role in the sense of number of removals.
“You can say they’re being efficient because President Obama’s administration has been the most efficient. He’s deported well over 2 million people,” Levario said. “The most of any of his predecessors combined.”
He said the U.S. Border Patrol has received military equipment to help them on their missions.
Read also: American Dream Not Quite Reality, Long Wait Brings Focus to Restrictions, Desert Guides at a High Price and Life in Juarez.
About Lucinda Holt
