Feds deport about 400,000 illegal aliens
The United States deported nearly 400,000 illegal immigrants in fiscal 2011 -- the highest number since the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency was formed eight years ago.
About 396,906 foreign nationals were deported in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, the agency said yesterday.
This compares with about 393,000 removed in fiscal 2010.
The figure highlights tensions in President Barack Obama's attempts to ease deportations, which have been steadily increasing, and his desire to formulate a more popular immigration policy ahead of the 2012 elections.
Illegal immigration is a hot political issue in the United States. More than 11 million illegal immigrants live and work in the United States, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.
States, including Arizona and Georgia, have tried to enact their own laws cracking down on illegal immigration, arguing that the federal government has done too little to stop it.
While Obama has failed so far to get Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform, he ordered the Department of Homeland Security in August to prioritize deportations of people who faced criminal charges -- a move viewed by analysts as a way to appease advocates of more liberal immigration laws. -- Reuters
'If you don't address demand, you don't address the problem' Police are only addressing the supply, but demand is what fuels the illicit sex trade, experts say. Newsday political reporter Bahar Ostadan has the story.
'If you don't address demand, you don't address the problem' Police are only addressing the supply, but demand is what fuels the illicit sex trade, experts say. Newsday political reporter Bahar Ostadan has the story.
