The President was quoted yesterday in defense of his deportation record. He stated that: "What we've seen is that the people who are being deported, the vast majority of them now are criminals."
Really Mr. President?
If we are to believe the statistics released by ICE it is estimated there were more than 400,000 people deported in 2012, of which approximately 50% were "convicted criminals." Hardly a vast majority as the President would have you believe.
But the 400,000 deportations question is: should we REALLY believe these statistics? The following is from Syracuse University's TRAC Immigration:
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is identifying fewer individuals as deportable owing to alleged criminal activity, according to the latest Immigration Court data on new deportation proceedings. During the most recent quarter (January - March 2012), ICE sought to deport a total of 5,450 individuals on criminal grounds. While this number is preliminary and is likely to increase once late reports are in, it represents a drastic decrease compared with 10,732 individuals against whom ICE sought deportation orders just two years ago (during the period January - March 2010).
But let's delve deeper into the allegation by quoting another statistic of note: In 2012, there was a 168.7% increase in federal criminal prosecutions for immigration related crimes from what was the norm in 2007. The most heavily prosecuted crime being unlawful rentry. In fact, nationwide, illegal rentry under 8 U.S.C. § 1326 was the most commonly recorded criminal charge brought by federal prosecutors in 2011.
So what does this all mean?
The Obama administration is prosecuting individuals for immigration related offenses at unprecedented levels, and by doing so they are turning mere immigration violators, people whose only crime is a violation of United States immigration law, into "criminal aliens" so that the statistics will reflect a deportation of a criminal alien. In September 2012 alone there were 8,132 new immigration related criminal convictions... and you can bet that every single one of them was deported through the reinstatement of a previous order of removal, and never had the opportunity to request relief from removal before an immigration judge.
Now I'm not saying that individuals should be committing immigration violations, or for that matter criminal violations for returning to the United States after they have been ordered removed. Far from it. We are a nation of laws and our laws need to be respected by all. What I am saying is that the administration is padding their criminal deportation statistics by loading the deck with newly minted "criminal aliens."
That brings me to my next point. In compiling the statistics what does the Obama administration count as being a "criminal alien?"
According to TRAC Immigration the administration's definition of "criminal alien" includes: individuals convicted of serious offenses like armed robbery, drug smuggling, and human trafficking, AND people found guilty of minor violations of the law such as traffic offenses, or in more basic terms people guilty of the offense of driving while brown.
So what does this mean?
The Obama administration is counting people that have minor traffic offenses that have absolutely no immigration consequences at all as criminal aliens, even when they are being deported for mere immigration violations such as a visa overstay, and not under criminal grounds of removal.
How does that sit with you?
Since we are on the topic of statistics, Tanya Golash-Boza, Associate professor of sociology at University of California-Merced, recently released a report entitled: "Mapping the Shift from Border to Interior Enforcement of Immigration Laws during the Obama Presidency."
The report found, among other things, that by 2014 the Obama administration will have deported over 2 million people, which is more deportations in six years than the entire number of people ever deported before 1997. The report further found that between July 1, 2010, and Sept. 30, 2012, there were 204,810 deportations of parents with U.S. citizen children.
I'll leave you with a quote that was made by ICE Director John Morton at the infancy of his appointment: "This isn't a question of whether or not we will detain people. We will detain people, and we will detain them on a grand scale."
At least he wasn't lying to us.

Matthew Kolken on Deportation And Removal: Are the "Vast Majority" of Deportees REALLY Criminal Aliens? coach bags http://shopping.yahoo.com/coach-bags--shop/ coach bags
Posted by: coach bags | May 16, 2013 at 12:04 AM
Matthew Kolken on Deportation And Removal: Are the "Vast Majority" of Deportees REALLY Criminal Aliens? PRADA HANDBAGS http://prada.darumaotosi.com/ PRADA HANDBAGS
Posted by: PRADA HANDBAGS | May 16, 2013 at 12:04 AM
Matthew Kolken on Deportation And Removal: Are the "Vast Majority" of Deportees REALLY Criminal Aliens? cheap soccer cleats http://www.loveinsoccer.com/ cheap soccer cleats
Posted by: cheap soccer cleats | May 16, 2013 at 12:04 AM
Matthew Kolken on Deportation And Removal: Are the "Vast Majority" of Deportees REALLY Criminal Aliens? Seo Tools http://scrapebox.over-blog.com/ Seo Tools
Posted by: Seo Tools | May 16, 2013 at 12:04 AM
Matthew Kolken on Deportation And Removal: Are the "Vast Majority" of Deportees REALLY Criminal Aliens? burberry bags http://bags.me.cc/ burberry bags
Posted by: burberry bags | May 16, 2013 at 12:04 AM
Matthew Kolken on Deportation And Removal: Are the "Vast Majority" of Deportees REALLY Criminal Aliens? cheap ray ban sunglasses http://www.2013sunglassessale.com cheap ray ban sunglasses
Posted by: cheap ray ban sunglasses | May 16, 2013 at 12:04 AM
Matthew Kolken on Deportation And Removal: Are the "Vast Majority" of Deportees REALLY Criminal Aliens? Cheap Jordans http://jordans.eu.pn/ Cheap Jordans
Posted by: Cheap Jordans | May 16, 2013 at 12:04 AM
Matthew Kolken on Deportation And Removal: Are the "Vast Majority" of Deportees REALLY Criminal Aliens? 整形美容 http://www.feimeizx.com/ 整形美容
Posted by: 整形美容 | May 16, 2013 at 12:04 AM
Matthew Kolken on Deportation And Removal: Are the "Vast Majority" of Deportees REALLY Criminal Aliens? nike pas cher http://d33.fr/ nike pas cher
Posted by: nike pas cher | May 16, 2013 at 12:04 AM
Matthew Kolken on Deportation And Removal: Are the "Vast Majority" of Deportees REALLY Criminal Aliens? 整形美容 http://www.feimeizx.com/ 整形美容
Posted by: 整形美容 | May 16, 2013 at 12:04 AM
HqaVbj A Care-free [url=http://bagsburberrycanada.zohosites.com/]burberry outlet[/url] slip up on!
XgqPfn WpgUgi [url=http://michaelkorsmontrefr.weebly.com]montres Michael Kors[/url] Drop[url=http://saclongchamppliagepascher.devhub.com/]sac longchamp pliage[/url] QebJex [url=http://achatsaclongchamp.devhub.com/]achat sac longchamp[/url] GahCdt [url=http://collectionsacguess.devhub.com/]sac guess pas cher[/url] OsqHje Once And For All [url=http://saclongchampprix.tripod.com/]sac longchamps[/url] RmdQow [url=http://isabelmarantsolde.tripod.com/]isabelle marant[/url] join forces TcxUwi
Function and fashion are the most important features of a good bag. [url=http://longchampbags.moonfruit.com/]longchamp pliage[/url] The materials used for fabricating hand bags, shoulder bags, saddle bags or any type of bags are various. [url=http://isabelmarantfrsoldes.snappages.com/]isabel marant[/url] The most appreciated fabrication material is leather. Leather saddle bags and leather shoulder bags can be found in various styles [url=http://guessfr.blogourt.fr]sacs ¨¤ main guess[/url] When you purchase leather shoulder bags and leather saddle bags you will benefit from a fashionable product [url=http://isabelmarantsneakers.designblog.fr]sneakers isabel marant[/url] There are three main categories of leather saddle bags and leather shoulder bags [url=http://saclongchampfr.blogzoom.fr]sac longchamp[/url]
it is still important to look out at a reputable store [url=http://burberrybagssale.rhhsweb.com]cheap Burberry[/url] Every woman love to wear trendy handbags which suit their dress [url=http://longchampbagssale.rhhsweb.com] Cheap Longchamp[/url] we manufacture our bags by keeping one think in mind that your choice and latest trend should be there in genuine rates [url=http://michael-kors-pas-cher.manifo.com]Sacs Michael Kors[/url] generally woman wear an handbags which complimenting with their dress [url=http://acheter-sac-longchamp.manifo.com]Sac longchamp[/url] You have an opportunity to get an handbag for every occasion like for parties [url=http://acheter-sac-guess.manifo.com]Sacs GUESS[/url]
NimFpt GyxTft [url=http://longchampssacsoldes.weebly.com]sac longchamps[/url] LpoVxp NdeZh [url=http://guesspaschere.weebly.com]Guess pas chere[/url] aWmnFld HdnUv [url=http://isabelmarantsneakersa.weebly.com]Baskets Isabel Marant[/url] LbrOah LmoAec [url=http://longchampsacspliagepascher.weebly.com]pliage longchamp[/url]
Posted by: ChailiWar | May 15, 2013 at 05:17 PM