President Donald Trump’s executive orders to increase enforcement and follow existing immigration law is leading some illegal aliens to self-deport.
In a report by the Pueblo Chieftain, sources told the local newspaper that illegal immigrants, fearful of being prosecuted and deported by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), are self-deporting primarily back to Mexico.
“Sources report that some undocumented families have left the area for Mexico rather than run the risk of having a parent arrested or even sentenced to prison for immigration violations,” the newspaper reported.
According to the report, families began self-deporting after a total of 14 illegal aliens in the Pueblo, Colorado area had been arrested and deported.
Many of the individuals arrested had previously come to the U.S. on an H-2A foreign guest worker visa, but overstayed and had been living in the country illegally for years.
In one case, 48-year-old Benito Rubio, who died in federal custody before he was set to be deported, was facing felony charges after illegally remaining in the U.S. despite federal orders to deport.
The self-deportation of illegal aliens comes just as Attorney General Jeff Sessions led the charge in the Trump Administration to reinstate criminal prosecution for first-time border-crossers, a break from the lax open borders policies of the Obama Administration, as Breitbart Texas reported.
Previously, first-time border-crossers were deported to their native countries. Under Trump, those illegal aliens are being prosecuted, alongside repeat offenders.
First-time border-crossers are being convicted with misdemeanors. If they illegally re-enter, they will be hit with felony charges. Under the Obama administration, former Attorney General Eric Holder actually halted all prosecutions in some border sectors.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.