This archive report was first published on 18 November 2019.
On November 18, 2019, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a report detailing the arrests of thousands of immigrants, including 182 undocumented Kenyans, who were applying for legal status to avoid deportation and become eligible for work permits.
The report, which covered 78 countries globally, found that Mexico recorded the highest number of illegal immigrants arrested at 91,272, while Mali, New Zealand, and Taiwan had the least number at 21.
According to the report, a total of 118,371 foreigners were arrested, out of which 464 are of unknown descent. In terms of regions, Africa had 1,100 DACA applicants arrested, with North America recording the highest number at 107,669, while Oceania had the least number at 88.
Kenya has the second-highest number among African countries behind Nigeria with 209 incarcerated persons.
USCIS stated that the release of this report reflects the agency’s ongoing focus on transparency, providing updated information on known arrests and apprehensions of DACA requestors.
The DACA program, enacted under President Barack Obama administration in 2012, has been threatened by his successor Donald Trump.
Applicants must not have been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, or three or more ‘non-significant’ misdemeanors not arising out of the same act, and are also expected to not pose a threat to national security or public safety.
