Record deportations of illegal immigrants under Obama

 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton today announced the agency’s fiscal year 2011 year-end removal numbers, announcing record deportations. 

Overall, in FY 2011 ICE’s Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations removed 396,906 individuals — the largest number in the agency’s history.  See Full Announcement from ICE:    ICE  

The news has been criticized from both sides of the immigration ledger: 

“The Obama administration is cooking the books to make it look like they are enforcing immigration laws, when in reality they are enacting amnesty through inaction,” said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) on Tuesday.  THE HILL.    

Rep Luis Gutierrez has made the following statement:  the figures were “nothing to be proud of,” highlighting the dangers a record number of deportations could mean for a White House focused on attracting Hispanic voters critical in swing states such as Colorado and New Mexico.  “We are deporting hundreds of thousands of people who came to the country to work, raise families, contribute to the economy, and want nothing more than to be allowed to live and work here legally.”   THE HILL.