Dallas Immigration Officials Report Immigration Arrest up 21%
This latest new from Dallas Immigration.
Arrests of illegal immigrants in North Texas increased 21 percent in the last fiscal year, according to federal immigration officials in Dallas.
More than 16,300 people were repatriated to their native countries, compared with 13,500 the previous fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an agency within the Department of Homeland Security.
That pace matched the increase at the national level: 349,041 people were removed by ICE, compared with 288,663 the previous year.
For the nation, removals of illegal immigrants has doubled since 2004.
For the last two years, the federal government has stepped up its use of criminal law, rather than administrative law, in prosecuting immigrant workers in the U.S. illegally.
Last year, Congress failed to pass a comprehensive reform of immigration laws that would have legalized a portion of the estimated 11 million to 12 million people in the U.S. illegally.
It is unclear what measures the incoming presidential administration of Barack Obama will take, and when. But Mr. Obama has been critical of raids that divide families, has urged tougher enforcement of employers who hire illegal immigrants, and has spoken favorably of a legalization program with certain qualifications.
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