Deportations and removals of illegal immigrants in North Texas jumped 21 percent this year, matching an increase nationally as the federal government continued its crackdown on residents who lack legal status.

More than 16,300 people were repatriated to their native countries from the North Texas region of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, in the year ended Sept. 30. That compares with 13,500 deportations from the region in the previous year.

Nationally, the government removed nearly 350,000 people, up from about 288,000 in the previous year.

Removals have doubled since 2004 as the government reacted to a rising immigrant population and public criticism that officials weren't doing enough to stop illegal arrivals.

ICE established so-called "fugitive operations teams" to find those who overstayed visas or ignored deportation orders. Nearly 34,000 such people were arrested last year; the caseload remains high at 560,000 people.

The North Texas region for ICE covers 128 counties and the state of Oklahoma. Both the San Antonio and El Paso regions saw similar increases, and the Houston region saw a 13 percent increase.

ICE spokesman Carl Rusnok attributed the increases in Texas and Oklahoma to "additional staff, additional resources and increased efficiencies."

The increased threat of deportation is just one danger for immigrants living here illegally. Another pinch is the sagging U.S. economy. The flow of remittances – money sent back to Mexico from those living abroad – declined this year after a record $24 billion was sent back in 2007.

Last year, Congress failed to pass a comprehensive reform of immigration laws that would have offered amnesty to some of the estimated 11 million to 12 million people in the U.S. illegally.

It is unclear how President-elect Barack Obama will approach the issue. As a candidate, he urged tougher enforcement of employment laws and spoke favorably of a limited amnesty program for qualified applicants.

Juan Flores, president of LULAC chapter 4854 in Arlington, said deportations are a quick-fix to a complex problem. He fears that increased deportations are going to force illegal immigrants to keep a low-profile and maybe shy away from seeking help during emergencies.

"We have to work together to come up with a real solution and not with fleeting actions that only hurt people and the nation as a whole. We're dividing families because many times we send back the parents but their children stay behind," Mr. Flores said. "These are destructive solutions, and I hope we can come up with more constructive, long-term solutions."

He said he's hopeful Mr. Obama will rekindle talks on immigration reform once he takes office.

Lorena Flores of Al Día contributed to this story.