Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced yesterday that in FY2013, the agency conducted a total of 368,644 removals.  Of these removals, 235,093 occurred during or shortly after individuals were attempting to enter the U.S.  The remaining 133,551 removals were individuals who were apprehended in the interior of the United States. The leading countries of origin for those removed were Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, which accounted for about 94.4% of the total removals.   

ICE has prioritized its resources on the identification and removal of individuals with criminal convictions and those apprehended at the border while attempting to unlawfully enter the United States.  Almost 60% of the total removals at the border were individuals who had been previously convicted of a criminal offense.  This number rises to 80% for the interior of the U.S.  Note, however, that ICE defines criminality as a recorded criminal conviction obtained by ICE officers and agents from certified criminal history repositories which can include crimes such as recent border crossers, fugitives from the immigration courts and repeat immigration violators.

For a comprehensive breakdown of ICE’s 2013 Removal numbers please visit their webpage.