When an undocumented Mexican ran a red light in West Deptford, New Jersey, he was arrested. Seven months after that incident, [on August 22, 2007] State Attorney General Anne Milgram issued an order that allows state police to ask about the immigration status of the arrested persons. In the case that undocumented immigrants are arrested, they might be handed over to Federal authorities or immigration agents. The order followed an incident when an undocumented immigrant, previously arrested and released, later became involved in a triple homicide.
Since then, police officers started asking about the immigration status of any person who they suspected could be undocumented. As a result, fear has spread through the immigrant communities in New Jersey. Maria Juega, a representative of the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund, said the order has raised fear among immigrants and created a dangerous situation for immigrant communities. Many people are afraid to leave their houses. Others, who may witness a crime, will not report it to the police for fear of being arrested.
In the last six months, New Jersey police handed over 8,874 persons to the Home Land Security Department – 1,501 persons were arrested from Newark Airport – compared to a total of 4,589 during 2006. According to a Federal Administration source, out of 10,000 immigrants arrested by the police of different precincts and handed over to the Homeland Security Department, 1,417 violated the immigration law. As well, 1,468 Green Cards were cancelled of immigrants who were arrested and convicted of a crime, who were then deported to their respective native countries. Last year, 282,548 persons were arrested and deported from the United States.
The operation against the undocumented has intensified this year. The budget for 2008 is $135 million, up from $35 million last year. An official source explained that while there is a rise in the number of deportations, the number of immigrants coming into the country has also grown and will continue to do so as long as the economies of neighboring countries do not improve. The trend to come to work in the United States and then return home is also growing. Immigration authorities indicate that at least one million foreigners are entering the United States annually by obtaining family-sponsored visas, with more than 800,000 obtaining a temporary work permit.
According to U.S. immigration attorney Charles Clark, most of those who are being deported don’t have any security in their home country nor a means to make a living. The situation of not being able to provide for their families forces immigrants to attempt to enter the United States multiple times. Carck suggests that Congress should double the number of temporary work permits to secure the border from this kind of situation.
Secretary of Homeland Security Department Michael Chertoff informed President George W. Bush that he wants to increase the number of temporary work permits. Chertoff said that regulations should allow workers who enter on temporary work permits and who return home to enter the country again the following year.
In 2007, 136,069 Mexicans deported, followed by 29,273 from Honduras; 24,765 from Guatemala; 19,862 from El Salvador; 12,949 from Brazil; 12,721from the Dominican Republic; 12,598 from Colombia; 12,240 from Nicaragua; 1,371 from Ecuador; and 1,244 from Haiti. There were 190 Bangladeshis also deported.
