The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in an effort to increase deportations significantly, has started to increase how many agents are tasked with locating and deporting undocumented immigrants with criminal records. The agency has taken over 150 agents from backroom and desk jobs to increase fugitive searches across the nation.

The new planned was hatched following a slump in deportations, partly due to the number of illegal immigrants dropping along the southwest border of the U.S. However, critics, some of which are inside ICE, condemned the effort as just one that is politically inspired by the reelection campaign of President Obama.

The move was made public on May 14 and calls for more fugitive search teams. Each search team has a goal of arresting 50 illegal immigrants with criminal records monthly. The teams have been instructed this month to look chiefly for convicted felons or those with a minimum of two misdemeanors. The new effort could back fire for Obama and prove to be a political nightmare during the election year.

Obama has received strong support from Hispanic voters and is under pressure from activists to find a humane way to enforce the laws of immigration and help keep families that have deep roots, here in America.

Leaders in the Republican Party including Mitt Romney want more effort in finding and deporting anyone who does not have the legal right to be in the U.S., including people who have spent years in the country, not just felons.

In 2011, a record number of people were deported. A total of 396,900 were deported of which 216,690 had criminal records.