ICE 2011 Deportation Data Reveals Misplaced Priorities; Indicates a Continuation of Human and Civil Rights Violations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Keith Rushing, Rights Working Group, 202.591.3305, 202.557.4291
krushing@rightsworkinggroup.org

October 18, 2011, Washington D.C. – Today, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released deportation data for fiscal year 2011 that shows it deported people at record levels, thus indicating that it continues to maintain policies that overlook serious human rights and civil rights violations. By releasing raw numbers and providing little background or explanation, the numbers obfuscate the reality of ICE’s massive deportation program.  By instituting programs like 287(g) and Secure Communities, ICE has utilized state and local police to arrest, identify and charge potentially deportable immigrants in circumstances that often involve racial profiling and other human rights violations.  The result is increasing the pool of people who can be labeled “criminals,” regardless how minor the offense.”

DHS announced today that 55 percent of the 396,906 people deported in Fiscal Year 2011 are “convicted criminals.” This statistic fails to breakdown the types of convictions involved in the large-scale removal of immigrants from the country, including how many were deported for minor convictions such as driving without a license. Throughout the United States, undocumented immigrants cannot get licenses. By driving anywhere they risk arrest, criminal conviction and deportation.

“DHS’s release today  is misleading in its self-congratulatory claim of effectiveness.  By publishing numbers without detailed explanation, DHS claims victory in achieving their priorities. The details would reveal a different picture, one in which minor offenders are targeted by state and local police, labeled criminals and handed over to ICE custody,” said Margaret Huang, executive director of Rights Working Group.  “For DHS to flout the deportation of immigrants in these situations as the removal of criminals is misleading, overbroad, and unjust. We remain deeply concerned about allegations of racial profiling and other civil rights violations that ensue following ICE enforcement activities across the country.” 

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Formed in the aftermath of 9/11, Rights Working Group is a coalition of more than 300 community-based, grassroots and national organizations working to restore civil liberties and human rights protections for all people living in the U.S.