“Felons, Not Families:” The Truth about Deportation
In 2014, President Obama tried to ease fears of immigrants by promising to focus on the removal of criminals from the U.S., and not families who have built their lives across the country: “Felons, not families. Criminals, not children. Gang members, not a mom who’s working hard to provide for her kids.”
Two years later, The Marshall Project closely studied and looked at the truth about removal of immigrants from the U.S. They examined 308,088 deportation cases since November of 2014 and found:
- About 40% of all immigrants removed from the U.S. had no criminal convictions on their record.
- Around one-third were deported for “immigration” crimes, such as forged documentation, or illegal entry or reentry.
- 21% of deported immigrants were convicted of non-violent crimes.
- Approximately 11% of deportations were related to drug offenses; about a third of them involved marijuana.
- More than 3,000 legal permanent residents (Green card holders) were deported over the last two years; a third of them were convicted of drug crimes.
The Marshall Project reports, “The newly released data suggest that while deportations overall have dropped over the past two years, the proportion of serious criminals among them remains roughly the same.” In other words, four out of ten deportations were for immigrants who had committed no crime.
The Department of Homeland Security has claimed that immigrants charged with or convicted of an aggravated felony is its first priority for deportation, but the statistics show that this is not true. That is why you should seek the help of a Nashville immigration lawyer like Perry A. Craft if you are charged with a crime in Tennessee. You have rights in this country, even if you are not a citizen:
- You do not have to let ICE agents into your home without a warrant.
- You do not have to answer any questions ICE poses to you without a lawyer present.
- You do not have to submit to abusive practices.
- You do not have to sign any paperwork they give you without speaking with an attorney first.
If you are facing criminal charges or have been detained by ICE, Nashville immigration attorney Perry A. Craft can help. Call the Law Office of Perry A. Craft, PLLC at 615-953-3808, or fill out this contact form. If you are being detained and cannot come to our office, we will make arrangements to come to you.
Perry A. Craft has dedicated his life to helping people in need. He has tried, settled, or resolved numerous civil and criminal cases in State and Federal courts, and has represented teachers and administrators before school boards, administrative judges, and the state Board of Education. Learn more about Attorney Craft.