A recent report from the House Homeland Security Committee has shed light on the alarming fact that over 85 percent of illegal border crossers have been released into the United States.
This revelation comes amid reports that the Biden-Harris administration is actively seeking to reduce federal detention space, while long-term illegal immigrants are seldom removed from the country.
According to The Post Millennial, the report highlighted that "by 2022, the Biden- Harris administration had 'quietly ended the practice of detaining immigrant families' altogether." This was confirmed by Dustin Caudle, deputy chief patrol agent for the Border Patrols Yuma Sector, who informed the Committee during a transcribed interview in September 2023 that between 65-70 percent of encounters in his sector had resulted in release since January 2021.
The report further disclosed that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas had conceded in January that the prevailing release rate for illegal immigrants apprehended at the southern border was "above 85 percent."
Federal Judge Kent Wetherell, in a March 2023 ruling, noted a significant shift in detention policy. He wrote, "the evidence establishes that in late January or early February of 2021, DHS made a discrete change in detention policy from release only if there is a compelling reason to to release unless there is a compelling reason not to." The report referred to this as a "radical shift" in the release of illegal immigrants, which was "clear from the start."
The report also emphasized the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) mandate that any inadmissible alien who enters the United States must be detainedfrom the moment they are encountered until they are removed or found to have a lawful basis to remain in the country. However, the report accused the Biden, Harris, and Mayorkas administration of devising and implementing a comprehensive and unlawful agenda of mass 'catch and release, leading to the release of millions of inadmissible aliens into American communities.
The committee noted that "undermining the law ensures that illegal aliens will almost never be removed," citing DHS data that showed 82 percent of illegal immigrants "neither expelled or repatriated directly by CBP nor continuously detained by ICE" remain in the US years later. Those not removed from the country after 12 months "are rarely repatriated after that."
The report quoted another part of Wetherells 2023 decision, stating, "the more persuasive evidence establishes that [the Biden-Harris administration] effectively incentivized what they call irregular migrationby establishing policies and practices that all-but-guaranteed that the vast majority of aliens arriving at the Southwest Border who were not excluded under the Title 42 Order would not be detained and would instead be quickly released into the country."
The committee questioned the administration's approach, stating, "One would expect that amidst skyrocketing illegal crossings that the administration would request more ICE detention beds to increase enforcement capacity." However, the Biden-Harris administration has reportedly requested "fewer ICE beds than the prior administration, while also failing to use all the beds made available by Congress."
The report also revealed that the Biden-Harris administration was planning in July 2024 'to eliminate in-person check-ins for migrants and replace them with an app,' further reducing ICEs ability to enforce immigration law.
DHA data cited in the report estimated a total of 16.8 million illegal immigrants in the U.S., with less than two percent under any sort of ICE supervision, and a mere .25 percent being detained.
The report concluded by criticizing the Biden-Harris administration's reluctance to fulfill its statutory obligation to remove illegal aliens, stating that ICE removals under the current administration have grown. This report underscores the need for a more robust and effective immigration policy that respects the rule of law and prioritizes the safety and security of American citizens.
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