According to a study by Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), U.S. immigration only arrests and deports 10 percent of all those with actual criminal records and therefore deemed a threat to the public. In this case, we are talking about capital crimes like rape, murder, arson and violent assault with a deadly weapon. All of the rest who had been deported either had committed minor crimes like illicit drug possession, prostitution or even traffic violations. In a number of cases, undocumented were simply deported for just simply being undocumented.

                               Recently new guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security call for priority in apprehending, jailing and eventually deporting those with known criminal records in either the United States or their countries of origin. This makes sense, since such people can be dangerous no matter what country they may come from. Despite these new guidelines, it seems that many law enforcement agencies and immigration personnel are not following them. Over one-third, or 38 percent of those undocumented who had been arrested by local authorities, and had immigration holds put on them, either had committed traffic violations or minor illicit drug offenses.

                                  Nevertheless, these people got deported just like the hardened criminals. According to the TRAC study, the number of people being deported for little or no civil crimes at all still remains high despite promises from U.S. President Barack Obama that U.S. immigration would only target the criminal element among the undocumented. The actual work of those enforcing the new policy at the lowest levels of immigration enforcement does not tally up to the ideal of the new policy. Even now, more people are being deported under Obama than under his predecessor—about 400,000 people a year. And it does not look like this trend is stopping. Perhaps more Latino voters should remember this when they vote for congressional candidates come 2014, or a new president in 2016.