Immigration-related arrests at lowest level in 40 years
New data from the federal government show a significant decrease in apprehensions for federal immigration violations, dropping to a 40-year low. The report from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics shows apprehensions at just over half a million in 2010 down from 1.8 million in 2000.
The report shows that the Tucson sector covering the eastern half of Arizona had the most apprehension at more than 70,000. The Rio Grande Valley sector, which covers coastal Texas and a small portion of the U.S.-Mexico border, the Laredo sector in Texas, which covers from where the Rio Grande Valley sector ends and covers the section of the border across from the Mexican city Nuevo Laredo, and the San Diego sector, which covers the California coast and the western half of the California border with Mexico, all had between 35,000 and 70,000 apprehensions.
The Tucson sector led all sectors with 212,202 apprehensions.
Most apprehensions were for illegal entry and about half of those were removed aliens trying to reenter the U.S. 83% of those apprehended were from Mexico, and 12% were from Central America up from 3% in 2002. Of the illegal aliens apprehended and referred to the U.S. attorney, 53% were arrested for illegal entry, 42% for alien smuggling, and 5% for misuse of a visa.
For more information, see the full report from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics.