Immigration Offenses Account For Half Of All Federal Arrests

24 Mar, 2017 by William Teach

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It’s pretty bad when federal authorities are having to spend so much time dealing with people who shouldn’t even be present in the country in the first place

(CNN) Immigration offenses account for half of all federal arrests, according to Justice Department statistics released Thursday, which focus heavily on the role immigration plays in the federal justice system.

The analysis of federal justice statistics from 2013-14 highlights how much of federal law enforcement is dedicated to immigration-related offenses, continuing the Trump administration’s efforts to place an emphasis on the criminal side of illegal immigration.

“These statistics make it clear that immigration-related offenses along the United States border with Mexico account for an enormous portion of the federal government’s law enforcement resources and that we must enforce our immigration laws in a way that consistently deters future violations,” said Sarah Isgur Flores, a Justice Department spokeswoman.

A few numbers

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics report, half of all federal arrests in 2014 were immigration-related, a total of nearly 82,000.

Sixty-one percent of all federal arrests were in the five districts along the US-Mexico border, along with 55% of suspects investigated and 39% of offenders who were given a federal prison sentence.

Other highlighted statistics included that 32% of defendants facing charges in district courts were from Mexico, along with 5% from Central America, and 42% of defendants were non-US citizens. Non-citizens were also one-quarter of federally sentenced prisoners in 2014.

The report also noted that 17% of immigration offenders who were released in 2012 ended up back in federal prison within three years.

It’s high time to implement measures which would make people think twice before they come to the United States illegally/overstay their visas.

Crossed at Pirate’s Cove. Follow me on Twitter @WilliamTeach.