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Despite public misperception that immigration laws aren't being enforced, removal of illegal aliens has increased each year since 2005,
according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a nonpartisan project at Syracuse University.
In fiscal 2005, ICE removed 195,000 people, and that grew to 389,834 in fiscal 2009, the clearinghouse reported on Aug. 2. The number
was more than 279,000 for the first nine months of fiscal 2010 (through June).
The clearinghouse found that, from 2005 through 2009, the increases resulted largely from catching people who entered the country
illegally or overstayed visas.
But, during the last part of 2009, ICE appeared to switch its enforcement strategy to target "individuals who had committed crimes while
in this country," the clearinghouse reported. That's resulted in a record number of criminal alien deportations. ICE and the border patrol
are also referring more cases for criminal prosecution.
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