ICE Deportations Only Half Levels of Five Years Ago

Newly released Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data-updated through October 2017- provide case-by-case details on each ICE deportation[1]. In general, as shown in Figure 1, ICE deportations have dropped by almost half during the last five years. While there is month-to-month variability, the number deported also has continued to decline since January 2017 when President Trump assumed office. In October 2012, ICE deported 34,543 individuals. By December 2016 that figure had declined to 20,833. And by October 2017 ICE recorded only 18,428 individuals were deported.


Figure 1. ICE Secure Communities vs. Other ICE Deportations, October 2012 - October 2017
(Click for larger image)

While removals through Secure Communities have recently received the most attention, since February 1, 2017 only about one out of three ICE deportations (35%) were through this program. The remaining two-thirds include those from the interior of the U.S. as well as individuals picked up within 100 miles of the border who weren't immediately deported by CBP.


Figure 2. Most Serious Criminal Conviction
for Individuals ICE Deported,
February 2017-October 2017
(Click for larger image)

A major contributor to these declining numbers over the past five years is believed to be declining apprehensions along the southwest border with Mexico. However, because ICE figures do NOT include the large number of individuals deported directly by the Border Patrol and Field Offices of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), it is difficult to assess the precise impact of declining border apprehensions on the latest ICE figures. This is because ICE is now withholding these case-by-case details disingenuously claiming the agency no longer tracks the information needed in order to know whether its deportations were originally the result of ICE versus CBP apprehensions[2].

Criminal Records on Individuals Trump Deported

During the nine months of February 2017 - October 2017, a total of 156,071 individuals were deported by ICE. Half of these individuals had either never been convicted of a crime (34%), or the only conviction was for their illegal entry/reentry and not for any offense committed after they had arrived (15%). An additional 10 percent had been convicted either for driving while intoxicated (DUI) or for a simple traffic violation. Only a quarter (24%) had been convicted of a serious offense that ICE classifies as a "Level 1" crime[3]. See Figure 2 and Table 1.

Table 1. ICE Deportations, February 2017 - October 2017
Total 156,071
No Conviction 52,345
Illegal Entry/Reentry 23,286
Traffic & DUI 14,830
Other Offense 28,022
Serious Offense (Level 1) 37,588

For the subset of deportations attributed by ICE to its Secure Communities program, 95 percent of these involve individuals who have been convicted of some criminal offense. This is not surprising, since this program identifies individuals through fingerprint records submitted to the FBI, typically by local law enforcement agencies. However, among those convicted, high frequency offenses involve immigration (illegal entry/reentry), DUI and simple traffic offenses. Only four out of ten (41%) had been convicted of a serious (Level 1) crime.

A more detailed breakdown of the most serious conviction for the top 100 categories of crimes is provided in Table 2 at the end of this report. In addition to those highlighted in Table 1, various top spots are dominated by convictions for drug possession and sales. Offenses involving marijuana are more numerous than for cocaine or heroin. This was true not only for all individuals ICE deported, but also for those deported under Secure Communities.

All
Removals
Secure
Communities

Updated Web Tools Provide Access to ICE Deportation Data

The data TRAC has compiled from these internal ICE records documenting month-by-month particulars on the individuals ICE deported are publicly available via newly updated online query tools that accompany this report. The first tool displays data on all ICE deportations through October 2017, while a second covers the same time period but focuses just on Secure Community removals. The latter tool provides breakdowns for each state and county in the country.

Table 2. ICE Deportations During Trump Administration,
February 2017 - October 2017
(click title to open in a new window)
    Number of ICE Deportations Percentage
Rank Most Serious Conviction All Secure Communities Other Removals Secure Communities Other Removals
All 156,071 54,153 101,918 100.0% 100.0%
1 No Conviction 52,345 2,740 49,605 5.1% 48.7%
2 Illegal Entry (INA SEC.101(a)(43)(O), 8USC1325 only) 16,821 2,881 13,940 5.3% 13.7%
3 Driving Under Influence Liquor 10,149 5,652 4,497 10.4% 4.4%
4 Illegal Re-Entry (INA SEC.101(a)(43)(O), 8USC1326 only) 6,465 2,373 4,092 4.4% 4.0%
5 Assault 6,095 3,508 2,587 6.5% 2.5%
6 Traffic Offense 4,681 2,364 2,317 4.4% 2.3%
7 Drug Trafficking 3,295 2,192 1,103 4.0% 1.1%
8 Domestic Violence 2,460 1,538 922 2.8% 0.9%
9 Burglary 2,311 1,389 922 2.6% 0.9%
10 Larceny 2,041 1,256 785 2.3% 0.8%
11 Marijuana - Sell 1,826 1,398 428 2.6% 0.4%
12 Marijuana - Possession 1,741 1,209 532 2.2% 0.5%
13 Drug Possession 1,692 1,020 672 1.9% 0.7%
14 Cocaine - Sell 1,681 993 688 1.8% 0.7%
15 Public Order Crimes 1,631 759 872 1.4% 0.9%
16 Dangerous Drugs 1,459 863 596 1.6% 0.6%
17 Robbery 1,386 787 599 1.5% 0.6%
18 Sex Assault 1,321 838 483 1.5% 0.5%
19 Smuggling Aliens 1,187 645 542 1.2% 0.5%
20 Resisting Officer 1,183 630 553 1.2% 0.5%
21 Hit and Run 1,149 574 575 1.1% 0.6%
22 Aggravated Assault - Weapon 1,148 695 453 1.3% 0.4%
23 Fraud 1,128 538 590 1.0% 0.6%
24 Cocaine - Possession 1,068 603 465 1.1% 0.5%
25 Weapon Offense 985 665 320 1.2% 0.3%
26 Fraud - False Statement 878 427 451 0.8% 0.4%
27 Battery 877 537 340 1.0% 0.3%
28 Amphetamine - Sell 815 501 314 0.9% 0.3%
29 Possession Of Weapon 812 530 282 1.0% 0.3%
30 Forgery 804 432 372 0.8% 0.4%
31 Marijuana - Smuggle 779 534 245 1.0% 0.2%
32 Flight To Avoid (prosecution, confinement, etc.) 743 208 535 0.4% 0.5%
33 Aggravated Assault - Family-Strongarm 666 369 297 0.7% 0.3%
33 Disorderly Conduct 666 377 289 0.7% 0.3%
35 Heroin - Sell 640 398 242 0.7% 0.2%
36 Fraud - Impersonating 625 299 326 0.6% 0.3%
37 Homicide 624 218 406 0.4% 0.4%
38 Failure To Appear 594 295 299 0.5% 0.3%
39 Cruelty Toward Child 582 320 262 0.6% 0.3%
40 Lewd or Lascivious Acts with Minor 503 299 204 0.6% 0.2%
41 Sex Offense Against Child-Fondling 501 308 193 0.6% 0.2%
42 Obstruct Police 484 272 212 0.5% 0.2%
43 Aggravated Assault - Non-family-Weapon 447 252 195 0.5% 0.2%
43 Cruelty Toward Wife 447 234 213 0.4% 0.2%
45 Marijuana 431 252 179 0.5% 0.2%
46 Probation Violation 404 261 143 0.5% 0.1%
47 Licensing Violation 396 232 164 0.4% 0.2%
48 Aggravated Assault - Non-family-Strongarm 391 218 173 0.4% 0.2%
49 Trespassing 369 193 176 0.4% 0.2%
50 Sex Offense 363 236 127 0.4% 0.1%
51 Immigration (Possess of Fraud. Immigration Docs) 359 101 258 0.2% 0.3%
52 Cocaine - Smuggle 339 182 157 0.3% 0.2%
53 Carrying Prohibited Weapon 337 203 134 0.4% 0.1%
54 Liquor 320 161 159 0.3% 0.2%
55 Threat Terroristic State Offenses 319 172 147 0.3% 0.1%
56 Shoplifting 310 156 154 0.3% 0.2%
57 Amphetamine - Possession 309 201 108 0.4% 0.1%
58 Rape - Strongarm 303 154 149 0.3% 0.1%
59 Carrying Concealed Weapon 302 208 94 0.4% 0.1%
60 Identity Theft 301 184 117 0.3% 0.1%
61 Vehicle Theft 294 192 102 0.4% 0.1%
62 Narcotic Equip - Possession 283 183 100 0.3% 0.1%
63 Aggravated Assault - Family-Weapon 278 160 118 0.3% 0.1%
64 Simple Assault 271 129 142 0.2% 0.1%
65 Kidnapping 226 121 105 0.2% 0.1%
66 Aggravated Assault - Gun 221 133 88 0.2% 0.1%
67 Prostitution 215 124 91 0.2% 0.1%
68 Damage Property 205 117 88 0.2% 0.1%
69 Crimes Against Person 204 103 101 0.2% 0.1%
70 Burglary - Forced Entry-Residence 202 131 71 0.2% 0.1%
71 Molestation of Minor 187 112 75 0.2% 0.1%
72 Aggravated Assault - Police Officer-Strongarm 178 104 74 0.2% 0.1%
73 Driving Under Influence Drugs 169 94 75 0.2% 0.1%
73 Sex Assault - Carnal Abuse 169 86 83 0.2% 0.1%
75 Synthetic Narcotic - Sell 157 97 60 0.2% 0.1%
76 Statutory Rape - No Force 154 77 77 0.1% 0.1%
77 Possession Forged (identify in comments) 151 75 76 0.1% 0.1%
78 Stolen Property 140 66 74 0.1% 0.1%
79 Rape - Remarks 138 60 78 0.1% 0.1%
80 Receive Stolen Property 137 101 36 0.2% 0.0%
81 Liquor - Possession 134 66 68 0.1% 0.1%
82 Firing Weapon 131 85 46 0.2% 0.0%
83 Violation of a Court Order 126 95 31 0.2% 0.0%
84 Money Laundering-Remarks 118 80 38 0.1% 0.0%
85 Stolen Vehicle 117 76 41 0.1% 0.0%
86 Cocaine 115 69 46 0.1% 0.0%
87 Public Peace 111 52 59 0.1% 0.1%
88 Indecent Exposure 105 61 44 0.1% 0.0%
88 Sex Assault - Sodomy-Girl-Strongarm 105 59 46 0.1% 0.0%
90 Fraud - Illegal Use Credit Cards 103 52 51 0.1% 0.1%
90 Homicide-Negligent Manslaughter-Vehicle 103 56 47 0.1% 0.0%
92 Making False Report 102 58 44 0.1% 0.0%
93 Arson 101 61 40 0.1% 0.0%
94 Heroin - Smuggle 100 62 38 0.1% 0.0%
95 Aggravated Assault - Non-family-Gun 96 47 49 3.9% 9.2%
96 Heroin - Possession 92 60 32 5.0% 6.0%
97 Neglect Child 91 61 30 5.0% 5.6%
98 Contempt Of Court 88 40 48 3.3% 9.0%
99 Unauthorized Use of Vehicle (includes joy riding) 86 49 37 4.1% 7.0%
100 Possession Stolen Property 85 55 30 4.5% 5.6%

Footnotes

[1] For simplicity, the terms deportations and removals are used interchangeably in this report. The numbers reported cover the total of ICE removals, voluntary departures and returns.

[2] ICE has published figures on how many FY 2017 deportations it claims were from the interior so it is clear that the agency does have a system for tracking these. Thus, it is puzzling why ICE won't release the records on which this statistic was presumably based, or allow the public to examine more closely these month-by-month trends.

[3] Offenses ICE includes as "Level 1" crimes are shown here.

TRAC is a nonpartisan, nonprofit data research center affiliated with the Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Whitman School of Management, both at Syracuse University. For more information, to subscribe, or to donate, contact trac@syr.edu or call 315-443-3563.