The United States deported fewer immigrants in 2015 than in the past 15 years, an Obama administration report revealed Tuesday.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released its end of Fiscal Year 2015 statistics, which reflect the U.S. immigration enforcement efforts that prioritize convicted criminals and threats to public safety, border security, and national security.
DHS says the drop in deportations is largely due to the 30 percent decline in arrests at the U.S. border, which it says reflects a lower level of attempted illegal migration.
Nationwide, including border arrests and apprehensions in the interior of the country, 462,463 were deported — a drop of about 115,000 from the previous year.
In 2015, Border Patrol arrests of Mexican nationals decreased by 18 percent from a year earlier, and arrests of individuals from other countries — predominately from Central America — decreased by 68 percent.
An estimated number of 11 million immigrants live in the country illegally.