U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Returnees – Who are they?

In FY 2014 (October 1, 2013 to September 30, 2014), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted a total of 577,295 removals and returns, consisting of 414,481 removals and 162,814 returns. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had a total of 315,943 removals or returns, and Customs Border Protection (CBP) made 486,651 apprehensions.

Approximately 56 percent (177,960) of all ICE removals involved individuals with criminal convictions, 63,159 of the convicted criminal removals were Level 1 offenders, 42,790 were Level 2 offenders, and 72,011 were Level 3 offenders*.

The vast majority of ICE non-criminal removals in FY 2014 involved individuals encountered by CBP agents and officers while trying to unlawfully enter the United States. Specifically, 89 percent (122,682) of ICE’s 137,983 non-criminal removals involved individuals attempting to unlawfully enter the United States.  A full 95 percent of ICE’s non-criminal removals involved recent border crossers, repeat immigration violators, or immigration court fugitives.

By the Numbers
The following is a sample from around the world of foreign nationals returned to their home countries by the US Government authorities. Eighty-five percent of ICE’s removals were of convicted criminals.

*Level 1 offenders are aliens convicted of (1) an “aggravated felony,” as defined in § 101(a)(43) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, or (2) two or more crimes each punishable by more than one year, commonly referred to as “felonies.”

Level 2 offenders are aliens convicted of any other felony or three or more crimes each punishable by less than one year, commonly referred to as “misdemeanors.”

Level 3 offenders are aliens convicted of “misdemeanor” crime(s) punishable by less than one year.

All data noted in this article taken from US Department of Homeland Security Website.