MPI: Immigration Enforcement Costs Greater Than FBI, Drug Enforcement, Gun Enforcement Combined

From Elise Foley at Huffington Post:

The United States spends more money on immigration enforcement -- nearly $18 billion in the 2012 fiscal year -- than on its other law enforcement agencies combined, according to a report released Monday from the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute.

That spending went to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection and US-Visit, a program that helps states and localities identify undocumented immigrants.

By contrast, the U.S. spent $14.4 billion -- combined -- on its other prime law enforcement agencies: the FBI, Secret Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshal Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

There's a reason for the high cost. The Migration Policy Institute found that ICE and CBP also refer more cases to prosecution than those other agencies combined, and the immigration agencies also held more individuals in fiscal year 2011 than the federal Bureau of Prisons.

The odds are pretty good that those costs will stay high for a while with or without immigration reform. Why? Immigration reform will include major new enforcement initiatives as part of the overall package. And without reform, we'll see a continuation of the status quo reported by MPI.

Comments

[Legal and no longer waiting]

I always felt like the "fiscal cliff" was a good thing. In fact, it was almost my wish list (well, except for that divine Jil Sander sweater) ;-)

[George Chell]

Spending cuts will also gut DHS budget for enforcement later this year.

[voteCIR]

"Sounds like a better approach would be to fix immigration get additional tax revenues and fine revenues and cut government spending."

I want to know who benefits the most from this federal spending on immigration enforcements and how many private companies are getting rich and their lobbying/donations to political parties. Those findings will tell you why criminal enforcement agencies are being cutback and all this money is being spent on deporting grandmas.

[Another Voice]

Sounds like a better approach would be to fix immigration get additional tax revenues and fine revenues and cut government spending.

[Legal and no longer waiting]

Oh, Jack, did this get your "out of control government spending" panties in a bunch?

Now, dear, think of it, what is more important, the FBI or chasing after some poor construction workers without proper documents?

[Jack]

Because of inadequate statutory mandates, however, employer compliance and enforcement have been weak and largely ineffective as tools for frustrating illegal immigration...This requirement, popularly called “employer sanctions,” is an essential pillar of immigration enforcement because of the job magnet that draws workers into the country illegally.

So why is the border enforcement "pillar" all that gets talked about?

[Jack]

"but how enforcement resources and mandates can best be mobilized to control illegal immigration"

No kidding. And people are either too stupid or don't want to talk about what would be both most effective AND cost effective.

[Jack]

"the question is no longer whether the government is willing and able to enforce the nation's immigration laws"

Is this a joke?

[Jack]

"deportations have exploded"

Not according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse University. Check the right hand column:

http://amjolaw.com/2012/12/27/are-there-record-deportations-under-obama-no-he-is-the-liar-in-chief-not-the-deporter-in-chief/