Immigration Prosecutions for January 2006
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during January 2006 the government reported filing 3038 new immigration prosecutions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is up 17.7% over the previous month.
The comparisons of the number of defendants charged with immigration -related offenses are based on case-by-case information obtained by TRAC under the Freedom of Information Act from the Executive Office for United States Attorneys. (See Table 1)
When monthly 2006 prosecutions are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the filings were up (12.6 percent). Prosecutions over the past year are still much higher than they were five years ago. Overall, the data show that the prosecutions are up 106.8 percent from levels reported five years ago.
The broad pattern of increase in immigration prosecutions over the past five years is shown more clearly in Figure 1. The vertical bars in Figure 1 represent the number of immigration prosecutions recorded on a month-to-month basis. The superimposed line on the bars plots the six-month moving average so that natural fluctuations are smoothed out. The one and five-year rates of change in Table 1 and in the sections that follow are all based upon this six-month moving average.
Virtually all federal criminal prosecutions for immigration offenses in January 2006 (97 percent) were referred by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The two lead investigative agencies in DHS are Customs and Border Protection (CBP) whose border patrol agencies guard the county's borders, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), responsible for conducting most immigration criminal investigations under the immigration laws. See Figure 2.
Lead Charge in Immigration Prosecutions
US Magistrate Courts
In January 2006, 79 percent of immigration cases took place in U.S. Magistrate Courts which handle less serious misdemeanor cases, including what are called "petty offenses." In the magistrate courts in January the most frequently cited lead charge was Title 8 U.S.C Section 1325 involving the "Entry of alien at improper time or place; etc.". This was the lead charge for 47 percent of all magistrate filings in January.
Other frequently prosecuted lead charges include: "08 USC 1326 - Reentry of deported alien" (37.1%), "08 USC 1324 - Bringing in and harboring certain aliens" (11.9%).
US District Courts
Table 2 shows the top lead charges recorded in the prosecution of immigration matters filed in U.S. District court during January 2006.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 08 USC 1326 - Reentry of deported alien 443 1 1 1 08 USC 1324 - Bringing in and harboring certain aliens 88 2 2 3 08 USC 1325 - Entry of alien at improper time or place, etc. 37 3 3 2 18 USC 1546 - Fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and 24 4 4 4 18 USC 1542 - False statement in application and use of passport 13 5 9 6 18 USC 1028 - Fraud and related activity - id documents 12 6 8 7 18 USC 0911 - False personification - Citizen of the US 8 7 5 5 18 USC 1543 - Forgery or false use of passport 8 7 6 10 18 USC 1001 - Fraud/false statements generally 3 9 7 8 18 USC 1544 - Misuse of passport 3 9 10 19
Table 2: Top 10 charges filed
"Reentry of deported alien" (8 U.S.C Section 1326 ) was the most frequent recorded lead charge. This statute was also ranked 1st a year ago as well as five years ago.
Ranked 2nd in frequency was the lead charge "Bringing in and harboring certain aliens" under Title 8 U.S.C Section 1324 . This statute was ranked 2nd a year ago, while it was the 3rd most frequently invoked 5 years ago.
Ranked 3rd was "Entry of alien at improper time or place; etc." under Title 8 U.S.C Section 1325 . This statute was ranked 3rd a year ago, while it was the 2nd most frequently invoked 5 years ago.
Among these top ten lead charges, the one showing the greatest increase in prosecutions—up 35.4 percent—compared to one year ago was 18 U.S.C Section 1542 that involves "False statement in application and use of passport ". Compared to five years ago, the largest increase—228.6 percent—was registered for prosecutions under "Forgery or false use of passport " (18 U.S.C Section 1543).
Again among the top ten lead charges, the one showing the sharpest decline in prosecutions compared to one year ago—down 62.9 percent—was Misuse of passport (18 U.S.C Section 1544). Compared to five years ago, the most significant decline in prosecutions— 62 percent—was for filings where the lead charge was "False personification - Citizen of the US " (18 U.S.C Section 911 ).
Immigration Prosecutions by Judicial District
Understandably, there is great variation in number of immigration prosecutions that are filed in each of the nation's ninety-four federal judicial districts. The ten districts registering the largest number of prosecutions last month are shown in Table 3.
Southern District of Texas (Houston)—with 130 prosecutions—was the most active during January 2006 together with Texas West. The district's position last year was 1st. Five years ago, the district's position was 3.
Western District of Texas (San Antonio) ranked first as well. This marked a rise from Texas West 's 2ndplace ranking just one year ago. Five years ago, the district's position was 4.
Southern District of California (San Diego) is now ranking third. It moved up in its rankings from a year ago when it ranked 4th. Five years ago, the district's position was 1.
Recent entrants to the top 10 list were Eastern District of California (Sacramento), now ranked 7th , and Oregon at 9th. In the same order, these districts ranked 11th and 13th one year ago and 7th and 12th five years ago.
The federal judicial district which showed the greatest growth in immigration prosecutions compared to one year ago— 18.8 percent—was Eastern District of California (Sacramento). Compared to five years ago, the district with the largest growth— 92.6 percent—was Southern District of Texas (Houston).
In the last year, the judicial district court recording the largest drop in immigration prosecutions— 36.6 percent—was Southern District of California (San Diego). But over the past five years, Eastern District of California (Sacramento) showed the largest drop— 52.8 percent.
Top Ranked District Judges
For the entire nation, the ten district court judges recorded with the largest number of new federal criminal immigration cases during January 2006 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago Brack, Robert C. N Mexico 32 1 3 - Cardone, Kathleen Texas, W 24 2 9 404 Crane, Randy Texas, S 21 3 7 - Tagle, Hilda G. Texas, S 19 4 5 9 Hanen, Andrew S. Texas, S 19 4 6 - Justice, William Wayne Texas, W 18 6 21 18 Hinojosa, Ricardo H. Texas, S 17 7 8 13 Martinez, Philip Ray Texas, W 15 8 12 404 Montalvo, Frank Texas, W 14 9 10 - Jack, Janis Graham Texas, S 11 10 14 68 Alvarez, Micaela Texas, S 11 10 20 - Briones, David Texas, W 11 10 11 3
Table 4: Top 10 judges
All 12 of the "top ten" judges were in districts which were in the top ten with the largest number of immigration filings . (Because of ties, there were a total of 12 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge Robert C. Brack in the New Mexico ranked 1st with 32 defendants in new immigration cases. Judge Brack also appeared in the top ten rankings one year ago (ranked 3rd).
Judge Kathleen Cardone in the Western District of Texas (San Antonio) ranked 2nd with 24 defendants in new immigration cases. Judge Cardone also appeared in the top ten rankings one year ago (ranked 9th).
Judge Randy Crane in Southern District of Texas (Houston) ranked 3rd with 21 new immigration cases. Judge Crane also appeared in the top ten rankings one year ago (ranked 7th).
