Feds Triple Cases Against Illegals

Immigrants account for half of prosecutions; critics question White House priorities
By Dustin Lushing,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 18, 2008 12:00 PM CDT
Feds Triple Cases Against Illegals
Harris County Sheriffs units are parked across the street from a large Shipley Do-Nuts facility on Houston's north side that was raided Wednesday, April 16, 2008.   (AP Photo/Houston Chronicle,Julio Cortez)

Prosecutions of illegal immigrants have soared in recent months, now accounting for half of all federal cases, the Los Angeles Times reports. Some 9,350 illegal immigrants faced federal charges in March of this year, up from 3,746 in March 2007, as the Bush administration ratcheted up efforts to use jail time, and the prospect of a criminal record, as a tactic to dissuade illegal border crossers.

"The results of this criminal prosecution initiative have been striking," says Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, whose department is still beefing up staff along the border to boost the effort. But with jail sentences averaging about a month, critics assert valuable federal resources are being wasted. "Immigration cases are dominating the federal court system these days," one researcher says. "The volume of cases is really huge." 
(More illegal immigration stories.)

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