The number of illegal immigrants returned to their native countries by the Denver office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement increased 7 percent in fiscal year 2008 — which ended Sept. 30 — according to federal officials.
During that 12-month period, more than 6,000 illegal immigrants were returned by Denver’s Office of Detention and Removal Operations, compared with 5,600 the previous year.
Almost 60 percent of the illegal immigrants returned by the Denver ICE office, or 3,600, were people who had prior criminal convictions in addition to being in the country illegally, according to an ICE report summarizing the fiscal 2008 activities of the Denver office.
ICE officials said that nationally, ICE returned more than 349,000 illegal immigrants, representing a 20 percent increase over the prior year.
In fiscal 2008, the number of charging documents issued by the Denver ICE office against criminals in the country illegally while they were incarcerated increased 32 percent to more than 6,000, up from more than 4,500 the year before, according to the report.
ICE officials said that ensuring criminals are targeted for removal rather than being released onto the streets is one of the agency’s top priorities.
