Immigration Prosecutions Increase by 26% in January 2012

Syracuse's TRAC Immigration has determined that in January 2012 there was a 26% increase in criminal prosecutions for immigration-related crimes, and a 33% increase in convictions from the previous month.  They found that the substantial growth of immigration-related criminal prosecutions is attributed to an increase of filings in U.S. Magistrate Courts.

Here are some of their findings:

• 100% of all federal criminal prosecutions for immigration offenses in January 2012 were referred by the Department of Homeland Security through recommendations of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).  
• The most frequent criminal charge (56.8%) was violation of 8 U.S.C §1325: Entry of alien at improper time or place.
• 37.9% of the criminal prosecutions were for violation of 8 U.S.C. §1326: Reentry of deported alien.
• The third most prosecuted criminal charge was violation of 18 U.S.C. §1546: Fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents.  
• Over the past year there was an 800% increase in prosecutions for violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028: Aggravated Identity Theft, and 826.7% increase of prosecutions for violation of 18 U.S.C. §1544: Misuse of passport.

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