According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), they have adopted common sense policies that ensure our immigration laws are enforced in a way that best enhances public safety, border security and the integrity of the immigration system. As part of this approach, ICE has adopted clear priorities that call for the agency’s enforcement resources to be focused on the identification and removal of those that have broken criminal laws, recently crossed our border, repeatedly violated immigration law or are fugitives from immigration court. … In FY 2012, ICE removed 409,849 individuals. Ninety-six percent of these removals fell into one of ICE’s enforcement priorities, a record high.

Shirl Mora James, Civil Rights and Immigration Attorney and President of SOMOS INDEPENDENTS (formerly the Tequila Party a woman-led counter movement to the Tea Party) states:

The Obama Administration needs to ensure that all ICE field offices follow their current directives to focus on high priority removals.  Apparently there needs to be improvement in Arizona, or there would not have been an issue with regard to Erika Andiola and the detention of her mother and brother recently.  The good news is that the current directive did ultimately work in Arizona because her mother and brother have been released.   It is apparent that the Obama administration has redirected their resources to ensure the national security of our country.  (See graph and charts below).