Immigration Enforcement: Immigration Related Prosecutions Increased from 2017 to 2018 in Response to U.S. Attorney General's Direction
Abstract
In 2017 and 2018, the Attorney General directed federal prosecutors to prioritize prosecutions of immigration-related offenses, including improper entry into the United States, illegal reentry after a prior removal from the country, and alien smuggling, among other offenses. Most individuals prosecuted for such offenses are arrested by DHS's U.S. Border Patrol and referred to DOJ's USAOs for prosecution in federal court. GAO was asked to review the actions DOJ, DHS, and the federal judiciary took in response to the 2017 and 2018memoranda. GAO reviewed (1) how DOJ prioritized prosecutions of immigration-related offenses in response to the Attorney General's memoranda, (2) what DHS and DOJ data from fiscal years 2014 through 2018 indicate about such prosecutions, and (3) resources that DOJ, DHS, and the federal judiciary used to support increased immigration related prosecutions. GAO visited three of the five southwest border USAO districts and interviewed DOJ, DHS, and federal judiciary officials by phone from the other two districts. GAO also analyzed U.S. Border Patrol data on its arrests and prosecution referrals from fiscal years 2014 through 2018; analyzed Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys data on its prosecutions from fiscal years 2014 through 2018; and reviewed relevant laws and DOJ, DHS, and federal judiciary policies, operational guidance, and budget data. This is a public version of a sensitive report that GAO issued in August 2019.Information that DOJ, DHS, or the federal judiciary deemed sensitive has been removed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1169448
Entities
People
- Gretta L. Goodwin
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office