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U.S. NEWS Saturday 12 March 2022
U.S. immigration arrests drop amid focus on most dangerous

By BEN FOX the previous year while the
Associated Press number of people appre-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Im- hended who had commit-
migration enforcement ted “aggravated felonies”
arrests within the U.S. fell nearly doubled.
sharply over the past year Total deportations fell to
as the Biden administration the lowest in the agency’s
shifted its enforcement pri- history, down nearly 70% to
orities to focus on people 59,011, a number that, in
in the country without legal part, reflects use of a public
status who have commit- health order implemented
ted serious crimes, officials during the pandemic to ex-
said Friday. pel people without formal
As it released its annual deportation proceedings.
report, reflecting eight Officials portray this strat-
months under President egy as an efficient use of
Joe Biden, U.S. Immigration limited law enforcement
and Customs Enforcement resources, but it puts the
said immigration arrests administration in a bind be-
dropped nearly 40% from tween critics, primarily on

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer looks on during an operation in
Escondido, Calif., July 8, 2019.
Associated Press
the right, who want to see cross our sovereign border, ministration last year di-
more apprehensions and you will likely be released rected the agency to limit
progressive Democrats into the interior of the Unit- enforcement actions at
who have called for dra- ed States, and once you’re schools, hospitals and a
matically scaling back the here, immigration officials range of other sensitive lo-
mission of ICE or even elimi- are not allowed to remove cations.
nating it altogether. you even if you skip your The agency argues in its
At a minimum, it also re- court date or commit a statement that the “pub-
flects a departure from the crime.” lic safety impact has been
strategy pursued under But in what officials call a dramatic,” with the num-
former President Donald “rebalanced” approach, ber of monthly arrests of
Trump, who early on direct- ICE said its Office of En- aggravated felons up 53%
ed ICE to apprehend any- forcement and Removal from the final year under
one who was in the country Operations arrested 74,082 President Barack Obama
illegally regardless of other noncitizens, a combination and 51% average during
circumstances. of people referred to the the Trump administration.
People in parts of the United States that observe daylight “As the annual report’s agency by Customs and Apprehensions included
saving time will set their clocks ahead this weekend as the data reflects, ICE’s officers Border Protection and peo- some conducted under
country switches from standard time. and special agents fo- ple detained at large in the an initiative targeting sex
Associated Press cused on cases that deliv- country. offenders, resulting in the
It’s time to ‘spring forward’ this ered the greatest law en- That figure is down from arrests of 495 people, com-

weekend in most of the U.S. forcement impact in com- 103,603 in the 2019 budget pared 194 under the previ-
munities across the country year, which was down 28% ous year, ICE said.
while upholding our values from the prior 12 months Trump, whose adminis-
WASHINGTON (AP) — No time change is ob- as a nation,” acting Direc- because of policies imple- tration took hundreds of
Even though winter served in Hawaii, most of tor Tae Johnson said in a mented at the start of the measures to restrict both
doesn’t slip away until Arizona, Puerto Rico, the statement announcing the COVID-19 pandemic, in- legal and illegal immigra-
next weekend, time has U.S. Virgin Islands, Ameri- results. cluding use of the public tion, directed ICE to ap-
its marching orders. In the can Samoa, Guam and Critics say the Biden admin- health order to quickly turn prehend anyone who was
United States, it’s time to the Northern Marianas. istration’s enforcement pol- back people stopped at in the country illegally. In
“spring” forward. A poll conducted last icy encourages the irregu- the border without giving June 2019, he tweeted that
Daylight saving time an- October shows that most lar migration that a succes- them the opportunity to “next week ICE will begin
nounces its entrance at 2 Americans want to avoid sion of U.S. presidents have seek asylum. the process of removing
a.m. local time Sunday for switching between day- struggled to control. ICE said nearly half the ar- the millions of illegal aliens
most of the country. Stan- light saving and standard “The Biden administra- rests and deportations who have illicitly found their
dard time hibernates until time, though there is no tion has turned the United since Biden took office way into the United States.”
Nov. 6. It will stay lighter consensus behind which States into a sanctuary consisted of “serious crimi- It didn’t happen, though.
for longer into the eve- should be used all year. country, plain and simple,” nals,” which the adminis- Total deportations were
ning but the sun will rise The poll from The Associ- said Mark Morgan, who tration defines as people higher under the first term of
later in the morning than ated Press-NORC Center was acting commissioner convicted of both felonies Obama than under Trump
it has during the months for Public Affairs Research of Customs and Border Pro- or “aggravated felonies,” in part because many cities
of standard time. found only 25% of Ameri- tection under Trump and without providing a more and states, opposed to his
Remember to set clocks cans said they preferred is now with the Heritage detailed breakdown. administration’s approach
an hour ahead, usually to switch back and forth Foundation. “This president In addition to who it tar- to immigration, refused
before bed Saturday between standard and has sent a message to the gets, ICE has also changed to cooperate with ICE on
night. daylight saving time.q world that if you illegally where it operates. The ad- removals.q