The Obama administration, under the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, (ISAP) has released aliens — some of whom are at risk of committing criminal acts — from detention into U.S. communities.
A report from Breitbart News, which cited “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Alternatives to Detention,” a report issued on February 4 by the Department of Homeland Security, noted that the ISAP program enrolls aliens, both legal and illegal, who are “at high risk of committing criminal acts, absconding, or violating the terms of their release, such as reporting requirements.”
The Homeland Security report stated:
According to ERO [Enforcement and Removal Operations], ISAP II is effective because, using its performance metrics, few program participants abscond. However, ERO has not adjusted its performance metrics to account for changes in the criteria for ISAP II participation. In 2011, ERO began removing some participants from the program and reducing GPS monitoring for others when their immigration proceedings were delayed. As a result, ERO cannot definitively determine whether ISAP II has reduced the rate at which aliens, who were once in the program but who are no longer participating, have absconded or been arrested for criminal acts. In addition, some program participants willfully violate the terms of ISAP II supervision, but ERO currently does not have sufficient resources to redetain these aliens. [Emphasis added.]
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A more recent DHS Semiannual Report to the Congress, covering the period from October 1, 2014 through March 31, 2015, admitted that ICE “no longer supervises some [ISAP] participants.”
Some members of Congress have expressed concern about the number of criminal aliens released by the Obama administration during Fiscal Year 2014. During an oversight hearing on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, noted a statement issued by the House Judiciary Committee on April 14, Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) announced that ICE has released “thousands of criminal aliens convicted of offenses involving dangerous drugs, assault and domestic violence, stolen vehicles, robbery, sex offenses, sexual assault, kidnapping, voluntary manslaughter, and even homicide.”
Goodlette said (in part) during his opening statement at the hearing, directed at ICE Director Sarah Saladña:
As the Obama Administration consistently shrinks the universe of criminal and unlawful aliens that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can remove, ICE apprehensions have decreased by 40 percent since this time last year. ICE administrative arrests of criminal aliens declined 32 percent compared to this time last year….
Under the Obama Administration’s new enforcement priorities, broad categories of unlawful and criminal aliens will be beyond the reach of the law even if they don’t qualify for the President’s unconstitutional legalization programs. This means that millions of removable aliens will remain in the U.S. without any risk of removal….
We just learned that in addition to releasing over 36,000 convicted criminal aliens in FY 2013, ICE released 30,558 convicted criminal aliens in FY 2014 pursuant to its so-called “priorities.”
Director, ICE’s first duty and highest obligation is public safety. The nonsensical actions of this Administration demonstrate its lack of desire to enforce the law even against unlawful aliens convicted of serious crimes.
We noted in our article last October that there were nearly 167,000 convicted criminal aliens with final orders of removal who are still in the United States and “currently at large” and that under the Obama administration’s lax deportation policy deportations from the interior of the United States were 34 percent lower than the previous year.
Under the administration’s “prosecutorial discretion” policy, illegal aliens (who have already committed the crime of illegal entry) — even if they have compiled an additional criminal record — are being released in large numbers into our nation’s interior instead of being deported.
Related articles:
ICE Releases Additional 30,558 Criminal Aliens in FY 2014
Accused Cop-killer Was Twice-deported Illegal Immigrant
Obama Administration Has Released 167,000 Illegals With Criminal Records
Obama Administration Weakens Illegal Immigration Enforcement
Obama Administration Releases 68,000 Illegal Immigrant Criminals
