Arrests of illegal aliens living in the United States have skyrocketed nearly 40 percent since President Donald Trump first took office, according to recent stats released Wednesday by immigration officials.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency’s Enforcement and Removal Operations deportation officiers have arrested more than 41,000 individuals since President Trump signed an executive order on January 22 that freed up immigration officers to start enforcing the nation's immigration laws. This total reflects a substantial increase over former President Barack Obama’s far more lenient enforcement policies.
“Between Jan. 22 and April 29, 2017, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) deportation officers administratively arrested 41,318 individuals on civil immigration charges. Between Jan. 24 and April 30, 2016, ERO arrested 30,028,” ICE officials stated.
The vast majority of persons arrested (nearly 75 percent, to be exact) were convicted criminal aliens who’d been released back into American communities, including aliens who’d been found guilty of homicide, sexual assault, and drugs, ICE reported.
“The arrest of aliens at-large in the community increased by more than 50 percent, from 8,381 last year to 12,766 arrests this year during the same period,” administration officials noted, adding, “The arrest of convicted criminal aliens climbed nearly 20 percent, from 25,786 last year to 30,473 this year.”
“Violent crimes such as homicide, rape, kidnapping and assault accounted for more than 2,700 convictions,” ICE stated.
While criminal aliens accounted for three-fourths of the arrests, immigration officials noted that illegally present aliens without criminal convictions are also subject to immigration enforcement under the new Trump administration.
“ICE agents and officers have been given clear direction to focus on threats to public safety and national security, which has resulted in a substantial increase in the arrest of convicted criminal aliens,” officials explained. “However, when we encounter others who are in the country unlawfully, we will execute our sworn duty and enforce the law.”