A data analysis released Thursday reveals 925,193 illegal immigrants in the United States currently have orders for deportation, but remain in the country.
The data obtained by the Senate Judiciary Committee also shows a 20 percent rise from 2012 to 2015 in the number of illegal aliens convicted of crimes who have removal orders that haven’t been carried out. In 2012, 151,236 criminal aliens were on Immigration Customs Enforcement’s “post final order docket.” In 2015, 179,040 criminal aliens were on the list.
“These figures are a disturbing indication of profound dysfunction in our immigration system. Hundreds of thousands of the illegal aliens living here have already gone through the deportation process, but they are still here,” Jessica Vaughn, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies and author of the analysis, said. “And tens of thousands of deportable criminal aliens are still at large causing harm in American communities.”
Walter Geovani Salguero, 30, an inmate and member of El Salvador’s Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang, participates in a pledge event during a news conference at the Sonsonate jail, outside San Salvador February 8, 2013. REUTERS/Ulises Rodriguez
A U.S. Border Patrol officer body searches an undocumented immigrant after he illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border and was caught on December 7, 2015 near Rio Grande City, Texas. Border Patrol agents continue to detain hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants trying to avoid capture after crossing into the United States, even as migrant families and unaccompanied minors from Central America cross and turn themselves in to seek asylum. John Moore/Getty Images.
Illegal immigrants from Mexico make up the largest group with final removal orders. El Salvador and Honduras are the second and third highest country of origin for illegal aliens on the “post final order docket,” respectively.
Mexico also has the highest number of criminal aliens awaiting deportation. Over 37 percent of criminal aliens with deportation orders still in the United States are Mexican.
Cuba is disproportionally high on the country of origin list, ranking second when it comes to criminal aliens with deportation orders.
Reasons why aliens are not deported include: home countries refusing to take back the individual, aliens absconding on court dates and government policies such as sanctuary cities and deportation prioritization.