WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. authorities deported a record 393,000 illegal immigrants in the 2010 fiscal year that ended last month, half of whom had committed a crime, Depart-ment of Homeland Security officials said yesterday.
The Obama administration has been under pressure to improve enforcement of immigration laws, in part to stem the flow of human and drug smugglers over the porous border from Mexico and also to address the issue of an illegal immigrant population estimated at around 11 million.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency removed nearly 393,000 people in the 12 months ended Sept. 30, a slight increase over the same period a year earlier. More than 195,000 had been convicted of a crime, almost 44 percent more than the previous year, ICE said.
“These record-setting numbers are the result of strong, sensible enforcement programs and priorities, and the dedication of thousands of ICE agents and officers who work tirelessly every day to keep our communities safe,” ICE Director John Morton said.
A senior Republican lawmaker urged the Obama administration to do more to secure the border so illegal immigrants cannot cross back into the country, and to prevent them from working here, particularly with high unemployment among Americans.
“In addition to deporting criminal aliens, they need to secure the border to ensure those deported cannot come right back,” said Representative Lamar Smith, the senior Republican on the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee.
Some 180 business owners, employers and managers were charged with criminal violation of immigration laws during fiscal 2010, a 57 percent increase over the previous year.
The White House has been pushing Congress to pass immigration reform legislation, but there has been little appetite among Democrats and Republicans to strike a deal. This summer lawmakers did pass a $600 million bill to boost security along the U.S.-Mexico border.
