Revealed: ICE Vastly Understated Amount of Illegals it Released onto American Streets

FAIR is the largest immigration reform organization in the U.S., and if believes that first and foremost the citizens and the economy must be protected and preserved, and immigration must only take place when it is of benefit to the nation. Records obtained by the group prove that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) misrepresented the number of offenses committed by criminal aliens in 2014, with the number of crimes committed being about 10 times higher than the number that was reported to Congress. By minimizing the problem, it seems less critical to act, and so the administration has completely misled those who should be responding to this crisis.

In response to an inquiry from the House Judiciary Committee in July 2015, ICE reported that the 30,558 criminal aliens it released, instead of deported, in FY 2014 were convicted of an additional 1,423 offenses. However, the ICE records that were requested by The Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) on FAIR’s behalf show that the actual number of subsequent convictions racked up by the criminal aliens ICE released in FY 2014 was actually 13,288. It is important to note that not all criminal charges result in convictions. Thus, the number of offenses committed by criminal aliens ICE turned loose is likely significantly greater.

The criminal aliens responsible for these 13,288 convictions were not considered sufficiently dangerous to be deported under ICE’s self-declared “priorities” for removal. “In recent years, the number of criminal aliens deported has plummeted, despite ample funds to remove many more. As a result of Obama administration policies that place protection of illegal aliens—including criminals—over the safety of the American public, thousands of people have been needlessly victimized,” charged Dan Stein, president of FAIR.

The list of convictions for offenses committed by criminals ICE did not deem worthy of deportation in FY 2014 includes: homicide, kidnapping, assault, sexual assault, drunk driving, and other offenses. Yet despite the clear knowledge that its policies resulted in thousands of avoidable crimes, ICE doubled down in FY 2015—releasing nearly 20,000 additional deportable criminals.

The Obama administration has put more than 85,000 criminal aliens back on our streets in the last three years, and they have lied to Congress and the American people in order to further their political agenda. There should be a wholesale firing and prosecution of the government employees responsible for this travesty that endangers the American people. The cynicism is overwhelming, and it is clear it comes directly from the top.

Source: fairus.org