Washington, D.C. (December 30, 2020) - ICE Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) statistics for FY 2020 have been released. Not surprisingly-- given the pandemic and its associated restrictions-- total removals and the number of aliens removed from the interior of the United States, as well as the number of aliens in ICE detention, are all down compared to FY 2019. There were increases in removals, however, in some surprising subgroups. The big question, though, is whether there will be a rebound in immigration enforcement once the pandemic emergency is over. Andrew Arthur, the Center's Resident Fellow in Law and Policy, said, "The numbers are particularly dismal given the fact that there are, by conservative estimates, more than 10 million aliens illegally present in the United States, of whom more than 3.2 million are on ICE's non-detained docket. The big reason for the decline is the pandemic, but the crisis may soon be over with vaccines in production. The question is will enforcement efforts rebound with the next administration, especially if a surge occurs at the border and illegal numbers in the interior rise." The full CIS article: https://cis.org/Arthur/ICE-Detention-and-Removal-Numbers-Slip-Wake-Pandemic Highlights of the report: - A 30.5 percent decrease in removals over FY 2019, only 8 percent were non-criminal.
- Removals decline for second year in a row.
- FY 2020 non-detained docket lower than FY 2019.
- ICE ERO arrests were down 38 percent, only 10 percent were non-criminal.
- Pandemic had a large impact on arrests and removals.
- Detainers issued decreased 26 percent largely due to fewer state and local arrests.
- ICE issued detainers for aliens with convictions or pending charges for 1,900 homicide-related offenses, the same number of kidnappings, 3,600 robberies, 42,800 assaults, and 11,900 sex crimes.
- Several "previously non-cooperative" countries (Bangladesh, Cuba, Haiti, India) took back more of their nationals.
- Family unit removals increased 154 percent, but the population increased.
- The Electronic Nationality Verification (ENV) Program, rolled out in July 2019, ENV, in which El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras participate, was a success, allowing aliens to spend less time in detention awaiting removal.
- One third of all aliens on alternatives to detention (ATD) absconded.
- The agency contends that given ERO's limited resources, its ability to keep tabs on aliens on ATD is "extremely limited". This simply reinforces the Center's conclusion in January 2019 that "Alternative Programs Don't Eliminate the Need for Immigration Detention".
- ICE detention numbers declined 33 percent.
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