PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Immigration convictions made up the majority of all federal court criminal convictions, according to new data WPTV obtained from Syracuse University.
The records show a jump in criminal charges being filed against undocumented migrants for "illegal reentry after deportation" since the Trump administration began in January.
WPTV also found a majority, about 55% of criminal cases being prosecuted in the West Palm Beach and Fort Pierce offices, were related to immigration.
Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a nonprofit based at Syracuse University, commonly called TRAC, said immigration prosecutions are lower than the levels seen during the first Trump administration. But the group said immigration criminal prosecutions jumped in March 2025 — a 36.6% increase from February.
Richard Hujbar, an immigration attorney in Boynton Beach, told WPTV he’s seen more clients facing criminal charges. He said he believes the increase in criminal charges against undocumented immigrants is to increase the punishment for entering the country illegally rather than just a flight back to their home country.
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“It’s a huge focus of this administration to have a real punishment and real consequence behind the process,” Hujbar said. “Because honestly, openly and candidly: I’ve had clients tell me, 'Hey, it’s a free trip back.' For some [deportation] is not the horrific consequence.”
According to court filings, the maximum prison sentence is 10 years for an undocumented migrant, who is caught illegally being in the United States twice.
Gina Fraga, who is also an immigration attorney in Lake Worth, told WPTV these types of cases weren’t usually prosecuted in Florida’s Southern District. But she said it was common for these cases to be filed in more federal court districts sharing a land border with Mexico.
WPTV asked the U.S. Attorney’s Office, overseen by the Department of Justice, about their decision to prosecute more of these cases and the effects on the office’s resources to go after other crimes.
A spokesperson said it had “no comment.”
