US getting tougher on illegal immigration

First five months of Obama in office has seen at least 30% more convictions in illegal immigration.

At the time of Obama assuming office, many had expected such convictions to come down. Obama administration is also coming down heavily on employers employing illegal immigrants for low wages. Shortly after Obama assumed office, Homeland Security office issued new guidelines asking ICE field offices to prioritize long-term criminal investigations of businesses profiting from unauthorized immigrant labor.

Noteworthy is the fact that while during Bush regime, there was wide spread criticism against his anti immigrants policy from immigrant communities, this time they are silent. This could be because as against previous regime, Obama has discontinued mass raids but has intensified and increased the prosecutions referred.

Moreover Obama Givernment is increasingly focusing on employers employing illegal and undocumented workers thus making it difficult and less lucrative for illegal workers. More than 100 such employers have been charged so far including some employers who have been permanently barred from carrying on immigration consultancy business for life.

Interestingly, out of these cases, about 45% cases are of "Re-entry of a deported alien"; that is entry of persons which had previously been deported.

Obviously, immigration consultants, who have been hit by this drive rue that instead of focusing on serious crimes such as including the gun running, drug trafficking and organized crime federal lawyers now spend much of their time processing relatively harmless crimes as illegal entry cases. Obviously not all are impressed with this.

US administration has also expanded the E-Verify database through with which employers can check workers' immigration status. E-Verify is being criticized by rights advocates for its flawed data base where many legal residents being wrongly flagged as unauthorized to work.