The Obama government is putting in new immigration enforcement programs in place. In this scenario the vast number of illegal immigrants, around 87 per cent would fall under a “degree of protection” to reside in the United States, according to a report. The immigrants would not be a focus of deportation operations.

It was found in the report that around 13 per cent of the estimated 11 million immigrants who were without papers – that is around 1.4 million individuals have criminal backgrounds and have strayed into the country illegally, they are priority for getting deported back  under the guidelines which the administration announced in the month of November and put into effect in the month of July recently.

The new program which has been introduced is expected to result in a drop  in the overall deportations from the country by as much as 25,000 a year, the report states.

The local and federal immigration policies and procedures came under intense scrutiny after a woman was killed this month in the city of San Francisco by an immigrant from Mexico.He had a long record of felonies and convictions. He was released in the sanctuary city by the sheriff without the federal officials being notified.

Senators are now working towards bills that will compel more coordination and cooperation between local authorities and federal agencies, it was reported.