Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) figures from June suggest 230,000 people could be removed or returned from the country by the end of the fiscal year next month, slightly fewer than the 235,413 deported in 2015. That was the lowest number since 2006.
While the total does not include people caught attempting to illegally cross borders, it still highlights a change in enforcement patterns under Obama.
Obama was once criticized by Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) on the House floor in 2014 as the “deporter-in-chief” because of the high number of deportations under his administration.
In 2012, removals under the Obama administration peaked, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement reporting that 409,849 people were sent back to their home countries.
The rising number coincided with efforts to reach a deal in Congress on comprehensive immigration reform that would have included a pathway to legal status for undocumented workers in the country. Republicans were demanding that Obama toughen enforcement.
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