Nearly half of all U.S. federal arrests in 2012 by U.S. Marshals Service were for immigration offenses, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The report indicates that between 2010 and 2012, immigration arrests were on the rise. They rose from 82,255 arrests, or 46.1 percent, of total arrests, in 2010 to 83,206, or 47.1 percent, in 2011 and then jumped to 85,458, an increase of almost 3 percent, to 49.9 percent of total arrests in 2012.

Immigration arrests from five federal judicial districts along the U.S.-Mexico border -- which encompasses California Southern, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas Western, and Texas Southern -- made up roughly 60 percent of all federal arrests in 2012, a 15 percent hike from 45 percent of all arrests in 2006.

In addition in 2012, these five districts accounted for 53 percent of suspects being investigated by U.S. attorneys and 54 percent of suspects detained prior to trial.  

In 2012, 102,557 suspects were arrested and booked by the U.S. Marshals in the five U.S.-Mexico border districts, compared to 69,691 in the remaining 89 districts. Figures indicate that in that year, the Southern District of Texas and the district of Arizona both had 18 percent of arrests.

In April 2010, Arizona enacted two of the most restrictive state laws addressing immigration, which required individuals to carry alien registration documents, prohibited individuals from applying for work if unauthorized, and allowed warrantless arrests if there is probable cause the offense would lead to the person being removed from the U.S. Although the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit asking for an injunction against these laws arguing their unconstitutionality, Gov. Jan Brewer appealed the injunction and arguments were heard by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals which upheld the injunction in April  2011.

Overall, from 2010 to 2012, the rate of suspects arrested and booked in U.S.-Mexico border districts increased by less than 1 percent annually. In comparison, the number of suspects arrested and booked in other border districts declined by 5 percent annually, from 77,816 in 2010 to 69,691 in 2012.

The report indicated that agencies operating under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) -- including Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Secret Service, and others -- accounted for 58 percent of suspect arrests recorded in 2012.

In addition, roughly 56 percent of male defendants charged in U.S. district court in 2012 were listed as being of Hispanic origin, followed by 42 percent of females of Hispanic origin.