Prior to reports of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) preparing to deport hundreds of immigrant families, it disclosed statistics regarding its central immigration agencies' apprehension and deportation rates.

Based on the DHS 2015 fiscal year report, the DHS apprehended 406,595 immigrants, nationwide, and made 462,463 "removals and returns." The DHS acknowledged that the deportation rate of convicted immigrant criminals, apprehended within the U.S., increased.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, one of three DHS immigration agencies, recorded 337,117 apprehensions, which is down from the 2014 fiscal year's 486,651 apprehensions. The 2015 fiscal year apprehension rate is down 30 percent from last year, and dropped by 80 percent from the 2000 fiscal year.The 2015 apprehension rates were down from Mexico and Central America, by 18 percent and 68 percent, respectively.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), another DHS immigration agency, deported 235,413 immigrants, which 86 percent were identified as "top priority," or Priority One, as individuals who pose as a threat to border security or the public.

"Last year's removal and return statistics are characterized primarily by three things: first, last year's removal numbers reflect this Department's increased focus on prioritizing convicted criminals and threats to public safety, border security and national security," said DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson in a statement with the report. "Second, the removal numbers were driven by the dramatic decrease in those apprehended at the border in FY 2015 - 337,117 - the second lowest apprehension number since 1972, reflecting a lower level of attempted illegal migration at our borders."

"Third, to improve the transparency of our efforts, for the second year in a row, we are releasing the immigration statistics of CBP and ICE together, rather than piecemeal, to provide a single, clear snapshot of our overall immigration enforcement picture," he added.

According to Johnson, the 2015 fiscal year was a year of "transition," due to new policies on public safety being implemented. Starting with the 2016 fiscal year, Johnson said he wants to focus further on interior enforcement resources on removing convicted criminals.

The report indicated the jurisdictions with limited or no cooperation with DHS's immigration agencies played "a significant factor" in further removal operations of immigrants.

"To that end, we are renewing and rebuilding ICE's ties with state and local law enforcement. ... In FY 2016, we will be challenged again by a variety of factors driving illegal migration to the U.S., mostly from Central America, and we are redoubling our border security efforts now to meet that challenge," said Johnson.

On Christmas Eve, the DHS was criticized for planning deportation raids on immigrant families who entered the U.S. since early 2014. The DHS raids will target both adults and children as instructed by an immigration court judge.

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