For the first time, immigration violations now constitute more than half of all federal prosecutions – with some ahead of drugs, organized crime, fraud, and weapons charges. As much as 52 percent – 69,636 cases in total – of all federal prosecutions in the recent fiscal year, involved immigration violations. This is in contrast to the 63,405 cases involving all other federal crimes, a study by the Transactional Records Clearinghouse at Syracuse University reveals.
The Clearinghouse had to sue the Justice Department to get the information. The two most commonly pursued charges by prosecutors are related to illegal entry or re-entry to the US. Penalties for conviction range from two months up to two years in prison for the latter offence.
The most serious outcome is being banned from entering the US for a period of up to ten years. The Congressional Research Service conducted a study, which found that the number-one factor for reducing undocumented immigrants re-entering the US illegally was a criminal prosecution. The highest number of prosecutions has taken place in Texas, with almost 44,000 cases. This compares to less than 3000 in California, according to the study.
Despite the figures, Jessica Vaughn of the Center for Immigration Studies, says that the cases are simple and uncomplicated. The former San Diego US Attorney, Peter Nunez, says that while they may account for over 50 percent of criminal cases, the figures do not account for a similar percentage of the budget of a prosecutor’s office.