Note: "entrants" is daily star speak for "illegal immigrants" A
lot of people have been hurt or killed by this category. Especially
in the border states. Also could be interesting to look at specific
cases.
More than 44,000 deportations since Oct. '10 tied to road violations
Entrant removals for traffic offenses up
Brady McCombs Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Friday, October 28, 2011
12:00 am
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/border/entrant-removals-for-traffic-
offenses-up/article_eaff1956-d28e-5537-a771-03197ef2f4ed.html
The number of illegal immigrants deported for commiting traffic
violations was the highest last fiscal year than at any time in the
past 11 years, national figures show.
Some 44,000 people were deported from the United States after being
convicted of traffic offenses during the first 10 1/2 months of
fiscal year 2011, according to partial figures from the U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
From 2001 to 2006, there were 4,000 to 6,200 deportations a year
from traffic offenses. In 2007, the total passed 10,000, marking the
beginning of a gradual climb over the next five years.
Not only have the yearly totals increased, the traffic-offense
category now represents a larger portion of the total deportation of
"criminal" illegal immigrants. That's defined by ICE as people who
have been convicted of felony and misdemeanor crimes. Noncriminal
illegal immigrants are people deported for immigration violations only.
The deportations from traffic offenses registered from Oct. 1, 2010,
to Aug. 15, 2011, accounted for 26 percent of the criminal removals
through these dates. That's up from 6 percent to 7 percent each year
from 2001 to 2006.
The numerical breakdown of crimes committed by people in the
"criminal" category is not yet available for the full fiscal 2011,
which ended on Sept. 30, but the partial figures show that more
people were deported following traffic violations than any other crime.
That includes dangerous drug convictions, a category that led the
list every year from 2001 to 2010. Misdemeanor or felony immigration
offenses ranked third on the list. Re-entering the United States
after deportation can be a felony.
Among traffic offenses, the most common conviction leading to
deportation was driving under the influence of alcohol, which led to
28,214 deportations through the first 10 1/2 months of the fiscal year.
The second-most common traffic offense is the catch-all category of
"other traffic offenses," which includes any traffic violation that
doesn't fit into the four categories broken out by ICE: hit and run;
transporting dangerous material; driving under the influence of
drugs; and driving under the influence of liquor. Those offenses can
include speeding, reckless driving, driving without a taillight or
driving without a license, said ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice. There
were 14,331 deportation stemming from this category in the partial
2011 data.
The other three traffic categories account for only a few deportations:
• Hit and run: 1,072
• Driving under influence of drugs: 515
• Transporting dangerous material: 4
Criminal deportations accounted for nearly 55 percent of all
deportations nationwide - a 10-year high, fiscal-year figures show.
The 396,906 total deportations set a record for the 10th straight year.
The Obama administration came under fire from both sides of the
immigration debate when it announced the figures earlier this month.
Republican border-security proponents and critics of the
administration's immigration enforcement strategy said the
deportation numbers were inflated because they include people who
voluntarily leave with no penalties and may be able to cross back
into the country illegally.
Immigrant-rights groups said the government is unfairly targeting
illegal immigrants who are not a threat to society, separating
families and creating fear in immigrant communities.
On StarNet: Read more about border-related issues in Brady McCombs'
blog, Border Boletín, at azstarnet.com/borderboletin
deportations for
traffic offenses
Fiscal 2011* - 44,136 (26% of total criminal removals)
Fiscal 2010 - 42,339 (22%)
Fiscal 2009 - 27,354 (20%)
Fiscal 2008 - 16,249 (14%)
Fiscal 2007 - 10,787 (10%)
Fiscal 2006 - 6,154 (7%)
Fiscal 2005 - 5,294 (6%)
* For the first 10 1/2 months of fiscal 2011
Contact reporter Brady McCombs at 573-4213 or bmccombs@azstarnet.com
Read more: http://azstarnet.com/news/local/border/entrant-removals-
for-traffic-offenses-up/article_eaff1956-d28e-5537-
a771-03197ef2f4ed.html#ixzz1c5cD901e
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