The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released its immigration statistics for 2013 and revealed more Mexicans were removed from the U.S. than any other nationality.

In 2013, the DHS "removed" 438,421 immigrant individuals from the U.S. Homeland Security defined the "removals" as the "compulsory and confirmed movement of an inadmissible or deportable alien out of the United States based on an order of removal. An alien who is removed has administrative or criminal consequences placed on subsequent reentry owing to the fact of the removal."

The removal of 438,421 immigrants is an increase of 20,024 individuals from 2012. In comparison to 2003's data, 211,098 immigrants were removed from the U.S.

Of the 438,421 immigrants removed from the U.S., 426,270 were from North American countries, while 5,775 immigrants were from South American countries. DHS noted 192,704 immigrants were identified as criminals, based on persons removed with prior criminal conviction. Non-criminal immigrants from North American countries were also high with 233,566 individuals.

Mexico was responsible for the largest representation of overall immigrants removed from the U.S. with 314,904 immigrants. Of the aforementioned Mexican figure, 168,606 Mexicans were non-criminals, but 146,298 individuals were identified as criminals with prior convictions.

The Central American countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras ranked behind Mexico's removal figures, and the only other countries to account for over 10,000 removals. Guatemala led the way among the Central American countries, second-ranked overall, with 46,866 immigrants removed from the U.S. with 15,365 individuals having prior criminal records. Honduras was next with 36,526 removals, including 16,609 with criminal records. El Salvador accounted for 20,862 removals, including 9,440 with prior criminal records.

DHS also disclosed 178,371 immigrants were returned to their native country last year. Homeland Security classified "returned" differently from "removed." DHS defined "returned" as "the confirmed movement of an inadmissible or deportable alien out of the United States not based on an order of removal." Unlike the removal rates, the 2013 figure showed a decline from 2012 with 178,371 removals from 230,386.

The immigrant returned rates showed a different picture than the removal rates. While Mexico also ranked first with 88,042 returns, no other Latin American countries ranked in the top five. Canada had the second-most returns with 23,963 individuals followed by Philippines' 21,523 returns. In contrast to the removal rates, Guatemala's return rate figure was 1,347, while Honduras saw 912 immigrant removals and 619 removals from El Salvador.

The rate of Guatemalans, Hondurans and Salvadorans immigrating to the U.S. could encounter changes following a memorandum issued by President Barack Obama. For the 2015 fiscal year, Obama added the three Central American countries to existing countries that can apply for asylum without leaving their native country. The other Latin American country with the same asylum process is Cuba.

"We are establishing in-country refugee processing to provide a safe, legal and orderly alternative to the dangerous journey that children are currently undertaking to join relatives in the United States," said White House spokesman Shawn Turner. "These programs will not be a pathway for children to join undocumented relatives in the United States."

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