Deportations dropped in the Northwest last year

Deportations dropped in the Northwest last year

By Thom Jensen KATU News and KATU.com StaffPublished: Jun 26, 2012 at 10:10 AM PDT

PORTLAND, Ore. - In the Northwest there have been a huge jump in the percentage of criminals deported last year but overall the number of people deported dropped.

Over the last four years Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) officials saw a record number of deportations in 2008, but it dropped almost a third last year.

That record number of deportations in 2008 was almost 11,000, but (ICE) did not have information on how many were arrested for crimes in that year.

Deportations dipped slightly in the region in 2009 with 41 percent of those deported picked up for crimes.

Two years ago the number dropped more than a thousand with just over 9,800 deportees and almost half were taken in for a crime.

But last year, while the total number dipped a little more than 2,000 to just over 7,600 deportations, just under 70 percent were charged with crimes.

On Monday the U.S. Supreme Court tossed out most of Arizona's controversial immigration law.

Justices said police cannot arrest suspected illegal immigrants without warrants; the state cannot require all immigrants to carry registration papers, and they cannot make it a crime for an illegal immigrant to look for work or hold a job.

But justices did not throw out the part that requires police to check the immigration status of someone they suspect is in the U.S. illegally.

In response to the ruling, immigrant rights supporters said they're concerned that the part that was upheld will allow police to stop and question people simply because of the color of their skin. But they said the justices dismantled most of what they consider to be a racist law.

"Make no mistake about it. This is not a victory for those who want to restrict civil rights, this is not a victory for those who support racial profiling, this is not a victory for those who want to forget our history that we are a nation founded by immigrants," said Tom Chamberlin, president of Oregon AFL-CIO.

Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber released a statement following the court's ruling: "I want to reaffirm that I am 100 percent committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming Oregon, a state that values the skills and talents of our diverse population and precious human capital. If we are to build an enduring prosperity in Oregon, we must ensure all Oregonians have an equal opportunity to contribute."

Oregon law already prohibits police from checking people for green cards or citizenship records based on skin color. It only allows such requests if someone is suspected of a crime.

The threat of deportation

Tony Hernandez's family is fighting to save him from being deported. Hernandez, who was illegally brought into the United States from Mexico by his family as in 8-year-old in 1983, has been in jail – on an ICE hold – for three months even though he grew up and went to high school here.

Hernandez is married to the daughter of Kay Lee and has two children.

"He's a good parent. He's a good husband, (and) he's a good son-in-law," Lee said. "Whenever we needed him he was always here."

Lee said if Hernandez is deported it will rip her family apart.

"Because if he's not here, they'll all go to Mexico," she said.

She said her son-in-law and people like him should be able to stay here because they've grown up in the United States and have established families here.

"He believes he is an American citizen," Lee said. "He doesn't believe he belongs in Mexico. He belongs here with all of us."

In Hernandez' case he needs proof that he has lived in the area for more than 10 years. The only proof he can get is lease records from his Aloha apartment complex. But his family says the owner and manager of the apartments are refusing to give up the paperwork. On Monday, the family hired an attorney.

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