The Raids Are Back
Reuters is reporting that US immigration officials are planning for sweeping deportation raids in May and June. The target is Central America mothers and children who unlawfully crossed the border and have an order of removal against them. Their planned raids are expected to be more comprehensive than their raids in January, which received attention.
Raids Continue:
DHS Specifically Targeting Orders of Removal in Absentia
The Department of Homeland Security has continued its raids on Central American immigrants who have orders of removal in absentia. These raids started in January of this year. The raids have continued in spite of DHS apprehensions of unaccompanied children or children with family members falling. The Democratic party is fissured over these raids. About half of the Democratic members of Congress have criticized the continuing raids.
Immigration on TV: Bordertown
Characters of Bordertown
On January 3, 2016 a new show, Bordertown, debuted on FOX’s Sunday Night Animation Domination. There are some famous voice over actors voicing the characters (such as Hank Azaria, Judah Friedlander, Alex Borstein) and Seth McFarlane is an executive producer. The show’s name conveys the setting and the subsequent storylines. It is set in the fictional town of Mexifornia, and it portrays the lives of people living in a town that is on the border of the United States and Mexico.
Given the show’s focus and name, the storylines revolve around immigration issues. In the pilot episode, the main conflict was that an American individual of Mexican descent (American born and American citizen) was deported to Mexico. The federal government passed a law, SB 7010. This is a play on the Arizona law from 2010, SB 1070, which was subsequently defeated in the US Supreme Court. The law in reality allowed for law enforcement to demand immigration paperwork proving legal status from persons they believed to be suspicious and not with legal status. That same conflict played out in the show and represented a main tension of the episode.
Another interesting twist to the show is that one of the main characters, Bud, is an American man who works for the Border Patrol. He is dedicated to protecting the border from smuggling and unauthorized migrants. Bud lives next door to Ernesto, a Mexican man, and his family. Their neighborliness can be tense, given their beliefs and circumstances.
The show probably will not be an accurate depiction of immigration laws and enforcement. However, it does provide an interesting narrative with a unique setting of Mexifornia. The main characters have backgrounds and situations that will place them in differing camps on immigration views. They will likely give voice to various views on immigration, many of which are likely to be politically relevant. The show is certainly timely and its views and portrayal of immigration in the United States are a small but important sliver of the immigration system.
2015 DHS Statistics for Enforcement and Removal
The Department of Homeland Security has released statistics for immigration enforcement for Fiscal Year 2015. DHS apprehended 406,595 with a total of 462,463 removals and returns. The Border Patrol made 337,117 apprehensions and Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed or returned 235,413 individuals. 91% of the returned individuals were convicted criminals, which has been a priority in reducing threats to public safety, border security, and national security. The data also indicate that fewer individuals are attempting to cross the border without authorization
ICE Raids in January
The Washington Post reported last week that the Obama Administration is planning to direct Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to conduct raids on individuals who have orders of removal against them in absentia. The individuals are mostly from Central America and because their orders are in absentia, their cases for relief have not been heard by an immigration judge. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is an agency with the Department of Homeland Security, and it is responsible for securing the United States internally. Part of those responsibilities include seeking out individuals who are not authorized to be present in the United States.
The individuals targeted for removal have final orders against them, but in absentia means that for whatever reason, the immigration judge placed an order of removal against them when they were not present at their hearings. They may not even know that an order of removal is placed against them. The move by the Obama Administration seems to take a stark contrast to its recent years on the subject of unauthorized migrants. In 2012, an executive order for Deferred Action enabled millions of “Dreamers” to gain temporary legal stay. In 2014, additional executive actions sought to expand Deferred Action to more migrants without status, though their legality is currently being contested in courts. Before those executive actions, however, the Obama Administration was removing individuals at record rates.
Given that the presidential elections are less than a year away and primary season is just about to kick off, each action that the Obama Administration takes on immigration will have consequences in the election and for the candidates.