WASHINGTON – Tougher implementation of immigration laws in the U.S in thefirst year of Donald Trump presidency has resulted in 30 percent increasein arrests, compared to the previous year, but deportations have come down.
While the overall number of undocumented people deported in 2017 decreasedfrom 2016, the number of Indians increased — 460 were deported last yearcompared to 353 in 2016. In 2015, 311 undocumented Indians were deported,according to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Meanwhile, a report released by the administration linked its case forchanging the immigration policy to national security and the ability of theimmigrants to assimilate.
An official speaking on background on Tuesday morning said 402 of the 549people convicted of international terrorism related charges since September11, 2001 were foreign born. “Those who come to this country must love thiscountry, should speak English…” the official said, promising measures toensure that only those who can contribute to the country’s prosperity andcan assimilate will be allowed in.Raids to continue
The ICE has said its enforcement raids targeting undocumented residentswill continue in 2018. Last week, its agents raided dozens of 7-11 storesand arrested over 20 undocumented workers.
Describing the raids as “a harbinger of what’s to come,” Derek N. Benner,acting head of the ICE’s Homeland Security Investigation, said: “This iswhat we’re gearing up for this year and what you’re going to see more andmore of is these large-scale compliance inspections, just for starters.”
According to a Pew Research Centre study in 2016, there could be as many asfive lakh undocumented Indians in the U.S. Tougher enforcement ofimmigration laws could affect them. They have entered the country bycrossing the border illegally or have overstayed their visas, and there isnot much India can do for them diplomatically, officials familiar with thesituation told The Hindu.
Indian consulates in the U.S issue travel documents for them on an urgentbasis, when sought, said the officials. In 2017, Indian consulates issued1229 travel documents, compared to 1000 in 2016 and 850 in 2015.Deportation and issuance of emergency travel documents cannot be directlycorrelated.
The U.S deported 2.26 lakh people in 2017, compared to 2.40 lakh in 2016and a vast majority of them were from Mexico. Guatemala, Honduras, and ElSalvador were the other countries top on the list.Prevention at border
The ICE has said the decrease in deportation is due to prevention at theborder, and reduction in attempts by people to sneak into the U.Sillegally, given the tough enforcement.
“It’s clear from the numbers that any large scale immigration raids,detentions and deportations deeply impact the South Asian community in theU.S. With 450,000 undocumented Indians — in addition to at least 23,000Indians and Pakistani DREAMers — these raids, detentions and the lack ofmovement on DACA and a DREAM Act continue to implicate and impact SouthAsian communities in the U.S,” a statement by the National Asian PacificAmerican Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) and South Asian Americans Leading Together(SAALT) said. ‘Dreamers’ are children who came to the U.S with theirundocumented parents.
Among the cases cited by the administration’s report on Tuesday, is of oneIndian-origin citizen of the U.S.
Khaleel Ahmed came from India in 1998 as a family member of a naturalizedU.S. citizen. He subsequently became a U.S. citizen through naturalisation- the process called ‘chain migration’ that the Trump administration wantsto end. In 2010, Ahmad was sentenced to more than eight years in prison forbeing part of an international terror conspiracy.