Cases of illegal re-entry after deportation still on the rise in Oklahoma City court

Carl Rusnok, regional spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said the stiff consequences for returning illegally after a deportation should deter some from returning.

He said new agents have been added to the area over the past few years as well as a new supervisor of enforcement and removal operations. This could be a factor in the increasing numbers of cases referred to prosecutors.

“These re-entry cases help us maintain the integrity of the immigration system,” Rusnok said.

Nationally, illegal re-entry is the most frequent lead charge in immigration prosecutions, followed by bringing in and harboring aliens, according to the most recent monthly data provided by the nonprofit project Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse based at Syracuse University.

“We are concerned with making sure the public is safe,” Troester said.

He said the top priority of federal prosecutors includes the violent offenders and those who pose a danger to society.

Five of the 10 men indicted this month are considered aggravated felons. This includes violent crimes such as murder, burglary, drug trafficking, fraud and burglary. Three had no prior felony records. The rest had other previous felonies.

Some who are deported were previously removed from the country after being caught during traffic offenses.

Others had been caught in the country and removed but came back and were caught, this time committing a federal crime.