Introduction
Deportation is the process of returning an individual to their country of origin from another country due to various reasons, including violations of immigration and criminal laws. It is an essential component of immigration policies of countries worldwide. Over the years, immigration has been a highly controversial topic, with debates centering on the effectiveness of deportation. Amidst these controversies, statistics provide essential insights into the trends, dynamics, and outcomes of immigration policies, particularly deportation. In this article, we will discuss the most helpful deportation statistics that shed light on the impact of deportation on the individuals and countries involved.
Overview of Deportation in the United States
Deportation in the United States involves the removal of non-citizens who violate immigration and criminal laws. It is handled by the Department of Homeland Security, specifically, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division. ICE is responsible for enforcing immigration laws, including deportation. In recent years, the United States has experienced a surge in the number of deportations, causing significant issues for the individuals involved and their families.
Deportation Statistics in the United States
Statistics help us to understand various aspects of deportation in the United States, including who is most likely to be deported, where they come from, and their reasons for deportation. Below, we will look at some of the most helpful deportation statistics in the United States.
1. Total Deportations Since 1892
Since the federal government assumed control over immigration in 1892, there have been multiple deportations. According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), between 1892 and 2019, the government deported a total of 57 million individuals. Of these, 8.5 million were legal migrants, while the rest were unauthorized immigrants. The statistics illustrate the significant role deportation has played in shaping the United States’ immigration policies.
2. Number of Deportations Per Year
The US government has experienced fluctuations in the number of annual deportations over the years. Between 2000 and 2009, the average yearly deportations were 200,010. From 2010 to 2019, total deportations in the US amounted to 5.3 million – an average of 530,000 individuals per year. The United States continues to deport individuals yearly, with an estimated 282,242 removals in 2019.
3. Countries of Origin
The United States deports immigrants from various countries worldwide. In 2020, the leading countries of origin for deported individuals were Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Colombia. Approximately 285,940 individuals from these countries were deported in 2020. The high number of deportations to these countries is due to their proximity to the US and their complicated relationships with the United States.
4. Criminality vs. Non-Criminality in Deportations
The government can deport individuals for committing criminal offenses or violating immigration laws. However, the majority of individuals deported are due to immigration violations, rather than criminal offenses. Of the individuals deported from the US in 2019, around 79% were classified as having committed immigration violations. In contrast, 12% of deportees had committed criminal offenses, while 9% were charged with both crimes.
5. Age and Gender of Deportees
Age and gender play a crucial role in determining who is most likely to be deported in the United States. In 2019, the majority of deported individuals were males, representing 79.5% of all removals. Additionally, the highest percentage of deportees belonged to the 20-34 age group, representing 46% of all deportations.
6. Impact of Covid-19 on Deportations
The Covid-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the US government’s deportation activities – resulting in a significant reduction in the total number of deportations in 2020. According to ICE, the total number of deportations dropped from 267,258 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 to 185,884 in FY 2020. The pandemic caused the US government to suspend many of its immigration operations, such as processing immigration applications and conducting in-person deportations.
Conclusion
Deportation remains a vital component of immigration policies in the United States and worldwide. These statistics provide valuable insights into the enforcement actions, trends, dynamics, and outcomes of deportation. They help stakeholders to determine the most effective ways to manage increasing numbers of deportations and focus resources on the countries and populations that need them most. By leveraging these insights, governments can improve their deportation policies’ effectiveness and minimize associated consequences.
Both documented and undocumented immigrants run the risk of deportation.
Although deportation laws tend to affect undocumented immigrants from all different countries, there is statistical proof that immigrants from particular areas are more likely to be deported than others. In fact, of all the deportations that occur on a yearly basis, Almost 95 percent are returned to North America, Central America and the Caribbean. These are the areas with the highest number of undocumented immigrants.
Statistically, the United States has a higher number of both legal and undocumented immigrants from Mexico than any other country. Roughly 30 percent of the nation’s 38 million immigrants are Mexican. This is due to the close proximity between Mexico and the United States. Mexico is also the country with by far the highest number of undocumented immigrants who are affected by deportation laws, as more Mexican immigrants are deported from America than any other nationality in the world; 2008 statistics place the number of total Mexican deportees near a quarter of a million. The majority of them are deported for being involved with or committing a criminalvisas
Other nations, meanwhile, also supply significant numbers of illegal immigrants, and thus, stand to take in a higher number of deportees. As of the most recent DHS figures, the Central American nations of Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador suffered relatively high tallies of persons deported, each exceeding 20,000 total. The Dominican Republic, Colombia and Ecuador also were forced to reclaim 2,300 or more of their nationals each. Perhaps startlingly, deportees from all other countries of origin managed less than 24,000 people.
Although deportation laws are typically supposed to affect all immigrants in the same way, Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Canadian deportees only make up about 7% of the yearly deportation rate, leading many to believe that the government tends to look less favorably on both immigrants from Hispanic countries.
