The U.S. deported fewer people in the 2014 fiscal year than in any other year since President Obama took office, the Wall Street Journal reports. In the year ending Sept. 30, 315,943 people were deported, a 14 percent drop from the previous year, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It was the second consecutive year in which removals declined. The previous year, the administration removed 368,644 foreigners.
Republicans say Obama has intentionally weakened immigration enforcement. They have criticized him for announcing executive action to shield from deportation and give work authorization to as many as five million illegal immigrants. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) said the new figure “confirms what we already know: [the administration] refuses to use the tools provided by Congress to enforce our laws.” Congress has provided funds remove 400,000 people each year.