"FY 2020: ICE annual report highlights operational successes in year shrouded by COVID-19"

Last week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement  (ICE) released its

"fiscal year 2020 annual report numbers, highlighting trends that underscore the administration’s focus on enforcing immigration laws and leading investigations that threaten or exploit the customs and immigration laws of the United States.

. . . .

In FY 2020, ICE continued to focus its enforcement efforts on aliens who pose a threat to public safety. ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) conducted 103,603 arrests, just under 30% fewer than in fiscal year 2019 – largely due to the coronavirus pandemic. Approximately 90% of those arrested had a criminal conviction or charge. Those arrested included aliens with criminal charges or convictions for 1,837 homicide offenses, 37,247 assault offenses, and 10,302 sexual assault or sex offenses. ICE ERO conducted 185,884 removals. The vast majority of ICE ERO’s interior removals – 92% – had criminal convictions or pending criminal charges."

Ted Hesson for Reuters commented on the report:

"U.S. immigration arrests fell by 27% in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic led to fewer border crossings and reduced operations, a falloff that pro-immigrant activists say should continue when President-elect Joe Biden takes office in January.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said . . . .that it arrested roughly 104,000 immigration law violators in fiscal year 2020, which ended on Sept. 30. ICE arrested 143,000 during the previous year.

The agency deported 186,000 people this year, a 30 percent decline from a year earlier." bold added).

KJ