By Cindy Chang | Los Angeles Times
Immigration-related offenses are now the leading type of federal prosecution, constituting more than 40 percent of cases compared, with 22 percent for drug crimes, according to federal crime data.
Many immigrants are now prosecuted because they try to cross the border again after being deported, according to a report released this week by Human Rights Watch.
Often, they are so desperate to get back to their families in the United States that prison time is not a deterrent, the report said. In the past, people with no prior criminal record would have been deported without being prosecuted.
According to Tuesday’s report, “Turning Migrants Into Criminals,” immigration prosecutions for illegal entry or re-entry increased to more than 85,000 in 2013 from about 12,500 in 2002.
