A recently issued government report claims that immigration enforcement spending in the Obama administration has surpassed the numbers of other agencies combined, and illegal immigration has also tapered off. California immigrants may have benefited from the administration’s policies recently, by being allowed to stay here to work or by a new regulation allowing people to stay in the U.S. while attempting to gain citizenship. However, immigration enforcement is still at the forefront of the administration’s policies, meaning some immigrants could still face deportation or experience difficulty maintaining a job due to workplace raids from immigration officials.
The report attributes higher spending to fewer illegal immigrant arrests. In 2011, officials arrested over 300,000 at its southern borders, and although this number may seem high, the numbers are actually the lowest in almost four decades. However, they also deported almost 400,000 that year. Last year, almost 410,000 immigrants were deported from this country. The numbers do not specify the reasons for the deportations.
Others have criticized the administration as having a soft spot for immigration and claim not enough is being done to tackle the issue. However, the report concludes that the immigration policies overall appear to be successful and have clearly been successful in combating illegal immigration in the workplace and at the borders. In addition, although there are large numbers of deportations, many immigrants have been granted the opportunity to stay in this country and be gainfully employed. Enforcement efforts have refocused on immigrants guilty of serious crimes and those who may pose serious threats to the security of the nation.
The administration has helped many California immigrants remain in the country with loved ones. This could very well open the path to those seeking legal immigration and eventually citizenship in the country. Spending may be at an all-time high, but the policies in place are helping those seeking to remain in a country they’ve grown to love.
Source: 760kfmb.com, “Gov’t spent $18 billion on immigration enforcement,” Alicia Caldwell, Jan. 7, 2013