Deportation Numbers Down: More Targeted Removal Efforts at Work?
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson
The Associated Press reports that the Obama administration deported fewer immigrants over the past year than at any time since 2006, according to internal figures obtained by The Associated Press. The share of immigrants deported on criminal grounds rose from 56 percent to 59 percent.
The American Immigration Council observes that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may be devoting more of its enforcement resources to deporting people who represent a real threat to public safety. The increase in the share of individuals deported on criminal grounds is an indication that DHS has shifted its strategies and now is focusing on quality over quantity. In the past, DHS had deported many noncitizens who had minor criminal convictions or no criminal records at all. The drop in deportations also may reflect the downward trend in recent arrivals, especially from Mexico. The drop in removals could be expected DHS’s new policy, which was issued as part of the President’s executive actions on immigration announced in November 2014. The guidance says that the immigration agencies will focus resources on individuals who pose threats to “national security, public safety, and border security.”
KJ