Amid calls to halt deportations, progressive group defends Obama
As immigrant families continue to camp and fast in front of the White House to call on President Barack Obama to halt deportations, a progressive…
While President Barack Obama is being pressured by immigrant rights advocates to stop deportations, a progressive think tank is defending the president’s record on deportations. (Voxxi/Griselda Nevarez)
As immigrant families continue to camp and fast in front of the White House to call on President Barack Obama to halt deportations, a progressive think tank is defending the Obama administrations record on deportations.
A new analysis released Thursday by NDN shows that the number of unauthorized immigrants whove been removed or returned to their native countries has actually dropped ever since Obama took office in 2009.
In 2012, the Obama Administration removed and returned almost a million people less than the height of the Bush Presidency, NDN states. And every year of the Obama Presidency has seen a sizable decline in the total number of unauthorized migrants removed or returned to their countries.
SEE ALSO: Both sides of immigration debate criticize latest removal numbers
By definition, removals happen when people are deported, while returns happen when people are taken out of the country without a formal order of removal.
Removals, returns are down under Obama
Using data from the Department of Homeland Security, the NDN analysis shows that in 2008, the last year George W. Bush was president, the number of removals nearly reached 360,000 and the number of returns stood at about 811,000. Adding those two numbers together, the total number of unauthorized immigrants who were removed or returned that year was 1.17 million.
Fast forward to 2012, the total number of removals and returns was just under 650,000. About 419,000 people were removed and about 230,000 people were returned that year.
A full report of 2013 is not available yet. But the NDN said the number of removals and returns is unlikely to have increased given that the number of removals measured by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) fell by 10 percent from 409,849 to 368,644 from fiscal year 2012 to 2013.
This chart shows the total number unauthorized immigrants who were removed or returned during FY 2001-2012. (VOXXI/Griselda Nevarez)
Meanwhile, some advocates who are calling on Obama to stop deportations in the absence of immigration reform are challenging the NDN analysis. They argue that the number of removals under the Obama administration has dropped due to net migration being close to zero.
Fewer people have tried to come to the U.S. than during the Bush years, Frank Sharry, executive director of Americas Voice, told The Wall Street Journal. You cant remove those who dont come.
SEE ALSO: Changes in Mexican migration
Another reason for the drop in the number of returns could be due to how immigration authorities are now placing many unauthorized immigrants caught at the border into formal deportation proceedings. Under previous administrations, these individuals were simply returned to the Mexico side of the border.
The release of the NDN analysis seems to be changing the minds of some Democrats who once called on Obama to curve the number of deportations. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is one of them. She told reporters on Thursday that decreasing the number of deportations would be a gift to Republicans.”
Thats a gift to the Republicans, because the fact is the Republicans are never going move unless they think theres a price to pay politically for not bringing the bill to the floor, Pelosi said during a press briefing in the Capitol, according to The Hill.
Other Democrats, like Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, are standing strong on their calls for Obama to halt deportations. Girjalva visited the immigrant families who are camping and fasting in front of the White House on Thursday to show his support.
Pressure to stop deportations continues
Despite the NDN analysis, there are no signs that the pressure on Obama to stop deportations will ease anytime soon.
On Thursday, a group of immigrant rights leaders and undocumented immigrants who call themselves the Blue Ribbon Commission reiterated their calls for Obama to stop deportations. They released a list of recommendations on what the Obama administration can do to stop deportations and offer relief to undocumented immigrants.
Among the recommendations is expanding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that the president announced in 2012 for undocumented youth, ending enforcement programs like Secure Communities and eliminating the 34,000-detention beds quota. They also call for improvements to the detention facilities and to allow some people whove been previously deported to return to the U.S. by granting them humanitarian parole.
He can do that today and we know it, Erika Andiola, a Dreamer and member of the Blue Ribbon Commission, said about Obama taking executive action to stop deportations. We will be pressuring him outside the White House anything that we have to do to be able to get the reforms that we want today.
SEE ALSO: Fact or fiction: Could Obama suspend more deportations?
