The Deportation Diaspora

Obama’s invitations, verbal and non-verbal, to immigrants to come to America illegally are inspiring thousands of people to take a shot at surpassing lax border security. The Center for Immigration Studies reported that by the end of April, the number of deportations of illegal immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras had declined by 40 percent from the same time last year.

Their data also suggests that despite the increasing number of minors arriving in this country over the past several years, there has been a steady decline in the number of minors (age 17 and under) removed from the country since 2008. Also, ten percent of the minors who were removed had at least one criminal conviction on their records, including weapons offenses, robbery, drug trafficking, sexual assault, and aggravated assault on a police officer. These statistics were gathered from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) very own Statistical Tracking Unit’s Weekly Departures and Detention Report and other ICE deportation records.

“Our interviews with Central American parents, who had just recently illegally entered the country, made it clear that the news has spread that there is a huge loophole in our immigration laws, “ said Jerry Kammer, Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies. “People are also getting the message … that now is the best time to come because the U.S. is providing permits that allow parents and their children to stay in the country. While the permits require them to report to immigration court, the vast majority never do.”

The Center interviewed immigrants who were recently released from Border Patrol facilities and were issued temporary permits. “Our understanding is that if you come with children they will let you through,” said one woman. Many of them described the violence and extortion in their home countries as their motivation to immigrate.

Jessica Vaughan, author of the report, suggests that the only way to end the surge of illegal immigration is to end the administration’s ‘catch-and-release policy, which the President doesn’t show signs of doing anytime soon.

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