Immigration and Customs Officers who arrest immigrants for deportation proceedings have picked up 40 percent more people this year compared to last year.
The figures were released by the Department of Homeland Security to demonstrate the progress being made in the enforcement of immigration laws.
In the 2017 fiscal year, ICE reported 110,568 arrests compared to 77,806 in FY2016.
ICE typically arrests people who have moved away from the border but are in the country illegally. Arrests that happen immediately on the border have decreased significantly.
According to the Associated Press apprehensions at the border have declined by nearly 25 percent compared to last year. The Border Patrol made 310,531 arrests compared to 415,816 the previous year. That number is equal the lowest number of arrests since 1971, according to the AP.
“These results are proof of what the men and women of ICE can accomplish when they are empowered to fulfill their mission,” said Thomas Homan, ICE Deputy Director. “We need to maintain this momentum by matching the dedication and drive of our personnel with the resources they need to perform at even higher levels. We need to confront and address misguided policies and loopholes that only serve as a pull factor for illegal immigration.”
DHS is using these newly released stats to further demonstrate the need for a wall along the United States’ southern border.