June non-criminal removals increased to 655 in the Houston area of operation from 271 in June of 2017.

Recent data from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) show a 142 percent spike in deportations of immigrants with no criminal convictions from June 2017 to June 2018.

June non-criminal removals increased to 655 in the Houston region from 271 in June of 2017.

The uptick in non-criminal deportations is due to the addition of some 500 beds in local detention facilities, according to a written statement by ICE.

“To accommodate a surge in the number of national immigration-related arrests along the U.S.-Mexico border, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) increased the capacity of its detention facilities in the Houston Field Office area of responsibility by approximately 500 beds. This increase in the detained population in the Houston Field Office led to a corresponding increase in the number of removals that occurred in June 2018,” the statement said.

Non-criminal ICE arrests in the area are up 18 percent to 337, looking at June numbers year-on-year.

Deportations of immigrants convicted of crimes increased by 13 percent to 947 in the same time period.

ICE arrests of immigrants convicted of crimes decreased by 10 percent to 957.

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