The deportation of non-criminal immigrants in Michigan and Ohio has more than doubled under the Trump administration, according to data obtained by the Detroit Free Press.
According to the data obtained by the Detroit Free Press deportations of non-criminal immigrants have increased by 117% between 2016 and 2017. Deportations of criminal immigrants were up by about 23%.
Ruby Robinson is with the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. He said the deportations has a chilling effect on immigrant communities.
“The executive branch and the Department of Homeland Security has a lot of power to enforce immigration law in various ways and we are not seeing a lot of restraint by ICE in these settings.”
Robinson said despite saying they support programs like DACA, legislators have continually dropped the ball on immigration reform.
“I imagine until or unless there is some type of comprehensive immigration solution we are going to continue to see especially communities of color be disproportionately affected by our immigration enforcement system.”
Robinson said ICE is tearing apart families and deporting residents who have been in the United States for the majority of their lives.