Burning Atlanta

I'm not dancing in the streets, yet. I see too many different stats but I do believe that ICE is starting to address the problem. For far too long illegals that have committed all sorts of crimes were/are simply released on the streets after serving their sentences. Shouldn't happen. No excuse.

Deport them all.

Immigration officials are increasingly scouring jails and courts nationwide and reviewing years-old criminal records to identify deportable immigrants, efforts that have contributed to a steep rise in deportations and strained the immigration court system.

Long accused of failing to do enough to deport illegal immigrants convicted of crimes, federal authorities have recently strengthened partnerships with local corrections systems and taken other steps to monitor immigrants facing charges, officials said.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said that in the 12-month period that ended Sept. 30, it placed 164,000 criminals in deportation proceedings, a sharp increase from the 64,000 the agency said it identified and placed in proceedings the year before. The agency estimates that the number will rise to 200,000 this year.

The heightened scrutiny, fueled by post-9-11 national security concerns and the growing debate over illegal immigration, has introduced a major new element to the practice of law in parts of the country with large immigrant populations.

Two groups of people are now more likely to be placed in deportation proceedings: illegal immigrants who might once have been prosecuted without coming to the attention of immigration authorities, and legal immigrants whose visas and residency permits are being revoked because of convictions. The number of deported immigrants with criminal convictions has increased steadily this decade, from about 73,000 in 2001 to more than 91,000 in 2007, according to ICE.