The report by the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington showed that 40 percent were Hispanic, compared with 27 percent white, 23 percent black and 10 percent other racial groups. In 1991, whites comprised 43 percent of those sentenced in federal courts and 24 percent were Hispanic.
The Hispanic offenders were more likely to be non-citizens and nearly half of the crimes were immigration-related.
The study attributed the change to stepped-up federal enforcement of immigration laws and a sharp rise in illegal immigration over the years.
The report was released Wednesday. It was based on an analysis of federal sentencing data.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2009/2/217930