William F. Smith: “Mr. Speaker, the 1996 immigration reforms improve public safety by facilitating deportation of dangerous criminals.…”

“Mr. Speaker, the 1996 immigration reforms improve public safety by facilitating deportation of dangerous criminals. Since 1996, the number of criminal aliens deported annually has almost doubled from 36,000 in 1996 to 67,000 projected for this year. Increased deportations benefit public safety in the United States because the recidivism rate for criminal aliens is high. Justice Department statistics show that half of all criminal aliens released from prison are convicted of another serious offense within 3 years. Since 1996, cancellation of removal has been the primary relief from deportation available to aliens. Legal permanent residents are likely to receive cancellation of removal if they have continuously resided in the U.S. for 7 years and have not committed any crimes classified as aggravated felonies. Some hardship cases have arisen where deportation may not be appropriate. Republicans and Democrats in Congress have urged the Immigration and Naturalization Service to ensure that deportation proceedings are not prosecuted in inappropriate cases. However, the INS has been slow to respond.”