Immigration Laws: Too Confusing

Zero Deportations

In 1996 US Immigration law was amended. The word deportation was removed. Legally we no longer deport people. The term deportation has been replaced with the legal method a person is sent back to their country of origin. A person is either returned or removed. This type of administrative change may seem trivial but it adds to the confusion of of an already complex series of laws that govern the US Immigration policies. It also has provided an opportunity for the politicians to deceive the American public by comparing statistics that in truth are not compatible. In this case we are speaking about the claim that under the Obama administration more people have been 'deported' than in past administrations. A claim according to the numbers the Department of Homeland Security is completely false. 

First lets review the definitions. According to the Homeland Security Yearbook of Immigration Statistics of 2012 Removals and Returns are defined as follows:

Removals: The compulsory and confirmed movement of an inadmissible or deportable alien out of the United States based on an order of removal. An alien who is removed has administrative or criminal consequences placed on subsequent reentry owing to the fact of the removal. [DHS]

Returns: The confirmed movement of an inadmissible or deportable alien out of the United States not based on an order of removal.[DHS]

The following charts illustrate the drop in returning non citizens to their country of origin despite claims of President Obama and the media. These numbers come directly from the Department of Homeland Security.  

 

Yearbook of Immigration Statisitics  

People around the world want to become citizens of the United States. One reason is because our laws keep us safe and provide incredible opportunity for everyone. Since Obama has taken office the number of persons removed from our country has plummeted.

The President has turned our already confusing immigration laws into an entangled myriad of laws and executive orders that are now as complex as our IRS laws. The President has declared many Immigration laws to be voluntary. It is time the American people demand reform that will not only help the politically charged and heavily funded special interest groups but reforms that guarantee the laws can be understood, followed and work to protect and provide opportunity for all United States Citizens present and future.