Surge in Deportation Raids Leads to Huge Increase in the Deportation of Law-Abiding Immigrants

Despite the Trump campaign’s promise to focus on arresting immigrants with criminal records, the Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) doesn’t appear to have the same focus. For example, in a July raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), DHS detained 650 immigrants from various states, the vast majority of which have no criminal record. More specifically, 520 of the 650 immigrants had no criminal history at all. According to ICE, the arrested individuals all were subject to existing removal orders by immigration courts, but how many individuals were swept up in the raid that ICE was not targeting is unclear. A spokesperson for ICE said the move was necessary to deter immigrants from attempting to enter the U.S. illegally, which is often a dangerous and costly undertaking. Likewise, if Central American immigrants know that the policy is to immediately deport undocumented immigrants, then ICE believes that they will not take the risk of spending their life savings in order to make the trip. However, the spokesperson gave no indication or explanation as to why individuals with no criminal histories have suddenly become a priority for ICE. Instead, she characterized the recent raids as part of the Operation Border Guardian/Border Resolve program, which was launched to slow the marked increase in Central American families attempting to illegally cross the border. Statistics show that there was a 23% increase in migrants attempting to enter the U.S. between 2015 and 2016. Recent conditions of extreme violence from gang members in Central American countries, such as Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, have sparked a refugee crisis, according to United Nations workers. Combined with the poverty-stricken nature of these countries, many immigrants have fled their native countries in hopes of both protecting their families from violence and increasing their wealth. If you are facing deportation, don’t lose hope. The deportation defense attorneys of Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C. know how to help you through every step of your deportation proceedings. Take the first step today toward securing the future of your family in the United States, and call our office at (510) 756-4468 to set up a legal consultation with one of our highly skilled immigration lawyers.