Priorities Post 9/11:
- Border guards heavily concentrated along southern border
Little change in staffing levels pre- and post- 9/11 attacks
Referrals for prosecution return to high levels from post- 9/11 dip
- INS criminal enforcement up sharply: 1986 - 2001
Large INS staffing increases help explain enforcement growth
Southwest border remains the hot spot for criminal referrals
A few criminal statutes are the focus of most INS prosecutions
Trends in aliens expelled by INS
- INS now ranks first in share of criminal convictions
Most INS referrals get prosecuted
But those sentenced receive relatively short prison terms
Prosecutions times are also much shorter
Active districts vary widely in prison sentences and conviction rates
