The U.S. deported nearly 400,000 illegal immigrants last year, and an increasing number of them were convicted criminals, according to figures set for release Tuesday by the Department of Homeland Security.
Deportations have been on the rise for the past decade, and the 396,906 illegal immigrants deported in fiscal year 2011 is the highest number yet, according to the figures.
Under the Obama administration, Homeland Security issued new priorities to focus deportations on convicted criminals, people who pose threats to national security and repeated border-crossers. Last year, 55% of those deported were convicted criminals, the highest percentage in nearly a decade.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton said the numbers reflect the administration's "focus on sensible immigration."
"In the face of limited resources, we have to prioritize, and that starts with criminal offenders," Morton said. "We are making sure that people who game the system face the consequences."
Critics say the numbers illustrate that the administration is intent on finding ways for illegal immigrants to stay in the country.
Obama last year endorsed the DREAM Act, which would have granted legal status to some children of illegal immigrants, but it failed to pass Congress.

Overview of Border Security Efforts
Over the past two years, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has dedicated historic levels of personnel, technology, and resources to the Southwest border. We have more than doubled the size of the Border Patrol since 2004; tripled the number of Border Liaison Officers working with their Mexican counterparts; doubled personnel assigned to Border Enforcement Security Task Forces; and began screening southbound rail and vehicle traffic for the illegal weapons and cash that are helping fuel the cartel violence in Mexico. CBP also received approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration to increase the miles of airspace available for Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) operations, enabling CBP to deploy UASs from the eastern tip of California extending east across the border into Texas – covering the entire Southwest border for the first time. Further,in January of this year, CBP's operational airspace along the Northern border expanded by nearly 900 miles, allowing CBP UAS operations from the Lake-of-the-Woods region in Minnesota, to the vicinity of Spokane, Washington.
In addition, we have nowconstructed 650 miles of fencing out of nearly 652miles where Border Patrol field commanders determined it was operationally required along the Southwest border, including 299 miles of vehicle barriers and 351 miles of pedestrian fence. We have also improved our technological capabilities, including the installation of remotevideo surveillance cameras in the Detroit and Buffalo Sectors, among other technologies.
Further, the Southwest border security supplemental legislation (based on the Administration's recommendations) was signed into law in August2010. It provided DHS additional capabilities to secure the Southwest border at and between our ports of entry and to reduce the illicit trafficking of people, drugs, currency, and weapons. Specifically, this bill provided fundingfor improved tactical communications systems along the Southwest border; two additional CBP unmanned aircraft systems; 1,000 new Border Patrol agents; 250new CBP officers at ports of entry; and two new forward operating bases to improve coordination of border security activities.
In addition, President Obama recently authorized the extensionof the use of 1,200 National Guard troops through December 31, 2011 at the Southwest border to contribute additional capabilities and capacity to assist lawenforcement agencies, and as a bridge to longer-term enhancements while the Administration brings new assets online and pursues additional people, technology, and infrastructure dedicated to effective border management and security. These National Guard troops are providing Entry Identification Teams and criminal investigation analysts in support of these efforts. That support is allowing DHS to bridge the gap and hire the additional agents to support Southwest Border enforcement efforts, and the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security agreed to equally fund the NationalGuard deployment's cost. However, Congress did not approve DHS' reprogramming requests,and the Department of Defense has covered the full cost of this National Guard support.

Immigrants reported being sexually abused atfederal detention centers nearly 200 times since 2007, documents released Wednesday show.
The abuse was reported by immigrants across thecountry - with five allegations in New York and four in New Jersey - according to federal documents released by the American Civil Liberties Union .
Last April, an immigrant detained at New Jersey's Hudson County Correctional Facility reported being stripped naked and sprayed in the genitals with pepperspray, one complaint shows.

I shudder to think how many are not reported

Except that the news program I caught while flipping channels the other day had a guard in the detention facility state that at least 60 percent were only guilty of being here illegally, not any other crimes.

Of course the immigrant that they interviewed stated that this was his second deportation and he was going to see his grandma and then come home, here, when he was done because his citizen girlfriend and kids were here. So it was wasted money on deporting him twice.

the most deportations on record,,interesting

so does the administration take blame for what wasnt done or credit for what was?

no matter, its good that immigration is being enforced, wherever we place the 'credit'

Actually they are ALL criminals. It is illegal to be illegal.