PHOENIX, Ariz- Experts say they expect to see an increase in U.S. deportations with new measures the Trump administration is implementing.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 20,786 people were deported in fiscal year 2017 in the Phoenix area and the number of removals this year will be reflected in a new memo by the Department of Justice. That memorandum is directed to the immigration court system and calls for faster removals.
Immigration attorney Pace Rawlings says the DOJ wants detained immigrants -- like those who the Eloy Detention Center -- to be deported within 60 days. The Department of Justice also wants any undocumented immigrant with a pending case, but not at a detention center, to be deported within a year.
However, even with these new measures, there were still fewer deportations in FY 2017 than prior years.
According to ICE.gov:
226,119 removals in FY 2017
240,255 removals in FY 2016
235,413 removals in FY 2015
