From www.greencardapply.com/news/news07/news07_1205.htm
1. Securing the Border
DHS has completed more than 76 miles of pedestrian fence for a total
of more than 150 miles of pedestrian fence and 115 miles of vehicle
fence on the Southwest border.
DHS plans to build an additional 225 miles of pedestrian fence and 200
miles of vehicle fence. We expect to have about 670 miles of total
pedestrian fence and vehicle fence by the end of 2008.
The Border Patrol now has roughly 15,000 agents and by the end of next
year we will have more than 18,300 agents. This doubles the size of
the Border Patrol under President Bush's leadership.
The National Guard continues to support the Border Patrol under
Operation Jump Start. This partnership has been extremely productive
as we work to the build the fence and train Border Patrol agents.
The National Guard has assisted with the apprehension of nearly
124,000 illegal aliens and the seizure of more than 900 vehicles,
250,000 pounds of marijuana, nearly 5,000 pounds of cocaine, and more
than $68,000 in currency since the start of Operation Jump Start.
DHS saw a more than 20 percent reduction in apprehensions of illegal
aliens at the Southern border in Fiscal Year 2007. This is an
indication that there are fewer attempts to cross the border
illegally.
2. Interior Enforcement
In Fiscal Year 2007, U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
arrested 3,563 gang members and their associates. This includes 1,489
criminal arrests.
Under Operation Community Shield ICE has arrested more than 7,655
members and associates of approximately 700 different gangs. Of those
apprehended 2,444 have been charged criminally and 5,211 have been
charged with immigration violations and processed for removal.
Over a three month period this summer ICE arrested more than 1,300
violent street gang members and associates in 23 cities across 19
states.
ICE has expanded its Criminal Alien Program to identify incarcerated
criminal aliens. In Fiscal Year 2007, ICE identified for removal
164,296 criminals who were incarcerated in federal, state and local
facilities.
ICE has increased its fugitive operations teams from 15 in 2005 to 75
today. As a result, the fugitive alien population has plummeted by
more than 35,000.
ICE continues to increase worksite enforcement operations. In Fiscal
Year 2007, ICE made 863 criminal arrests and 4,077 administrative
arrests for a total of 4,940 arrests.
In Fiscal Year 2007, DHS obtained more than $30 million in criminal
fines, restitutions and civil judgments as a result of worksite
enforcement.
3. E-Verify
E-Verify is a free and simple to use Web-based system that
electronically verifies the employment eligibility of newly hired
employees.
E-Verify works by allowing participating employers to electronically
compare employee information taken from the Form I-9 (the paper based
employee eligibility verification form used for all new hires) against
more than 425 million records in the Social Security Administration's
(SSA) database and more than 60 million records in DHS immigration
databases. Results are returned within seconds.
Currently, more than 30,000 companies are enrolled in E-Verify. More
than 3.2 million new hires have been processed through E-Verify and
usage is growing by roughly 83 percent annually. The system is
currently capable of handling up to 25 million inquiries a year.
DHS has filed a law suit against Illinois, which passed legislation
that prohibits employers in their state from using E-Verify.
4. No-Match Letters
DHS issued a regulation earlier this year which outlines specific
steps an employer should take if they receive a "no-match" letter from
the SSA informing them they have an employee whose name and Social
Security Number do not match the government records.
The regulation sets forth clear guidance for businesses to comply with
"no-match" notices and provides a safe harbor for employers who follow
the guidance and perform due diligence so they are not found in
violation of their legal obligations.
The implementation of this regulation has been delayed to lawsuits
filed by the ACLU and U.S. Chamber of Commerce preventing DHS from
issuing "no-match" letters. - www.greencardapply.com/news/news07/news07_1205.htm
Peter
www.greencardapply.com
www.greencardfamily.com |
247374. Border Security and Immigration Enforcement - DHS Fact Sheet
|
|