In February, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued orders that prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from arresting and deporting illegal aliens unless they have recently been convicted of an aggravated felony, are known to be gang members, or are classified as terrorists. A slew of internal documents obtained by Arizona Attorney General Republican Mark Brnovich reveals that DHS was fully aware that their orders would free criminal illegal aliens into the country; yet they still went ahead with the decision.
Top officials from DHS conducted an analysis of illegal aliens booked under federal custody last fiscal year in order to determine how many would be able to avoid deportation and detention due to the orders. It found that the following illegal aliens were likely to be released back into the United States.
- More than 13,400 convicted of violating immigration laws;
- 3,371 convicted of assault;
- Almost 900 convicted of larceny;
- 225 convicted of sexual offenses;
- 211 convicted of burglary;
- 143 convicted of vehicular theft;
- 85 convicted of homicide;
- 73 convicted of sexual assault;
- 46 convicted of kidnapping;
- 40 convicted of obscenity.
DHS officials were also aware that the orders would lead to a reduction in the number of criminal illegal aliens arrested by law enforcement agencies. Back in January, one ICE official had warned that book-ins would be cut by 50 percent of historical numbers and that most of the book-ins would come as part of transfers from the Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Since the orders were issued, the number of illegal aliens at ICE detention has hit the lowest ever in history. The number of arrested illegal aliens has fallen by 80 percent while the number of criminal illegal aliens who are kept under federal custody has dropped by 70 percent.
The DHS internal documents were obtained through a court order during the discovery process in lawsuits challenging government policies that limited deportations in Arizona and Montana. According to Brnovich, these states are the first in the country to uncover such information. In total, around 5,000 pages of records were submitted by the DHS, of which only 170 were unredacted. “The DHS records we have obtained convey a shocking disregard for the safety of American communities by the Biden Administration… The Biden Administration and its radical allies are effectively abolishing ICE through administrative acts,” Brnovich said in a press release.
Brnovich is suing the Biden administration for not taking into account the negative environmental effects of its immigration policies. Filed in early April, the lawsuit turns the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which requires federal agencies to assess potential environmental impact of its policies before implementing them, against the Democratic administration. In an interview with Fox News, the Attorney General called the fact that the administration positions itself as pro-environmental while ignoring laws that were established to fulfill such purposes “the pinnacle of hypocrisy.” He added that every single migrant who crosses into the United States leaves behind around six to eight pounds of trash.
Success
You are now signed up for our newsletter
Success
Check your email to complete sign up
Washington has been flying thousands of immigrants into the interiors of the country without having tested them for COVID-19 or asking such people for proof of identity. According to Breitbart, the office of Republican Representative August Pfluger (Texas) said that between Feb. 19 and April 22, the Biden administration transported around 7,200 border crosses via air into the U.S. interiors. The fact that COVID-19 tests were not conducted has come as a shock to many, given that DHS has admitted that many border crossers taken into custody have tested positive for the virus. In a tweet, Pfluger accused the Biden administration of “knowingly endangering the lives of American citizens.”
Border wall
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has announced that it will soon be canceling all southern border wall construction projects that were being paid for with funds approved for military construction projects. Any unobligated military construction funds will now be used for other deferred projects. The construction of the border wall began under the Trump administration. On his first day in office, Biden had announced that he would end the use of taxpayer funds to build the wall.
“Consistent with the President’s proclamation, the Department of Defense is proceeding with canceling all border barrier construction projects paid for with funds originally intended for other military missions and functions such as schools for military children, overseas military construction projects in partner nations, and the National Guard and Reserve equipment account… DoD has begun taking all necessary actions to cancel border barrier projects and to coordinate with interagency partners,” Jamal Brown, deputy Pentagon spokesperson, said in a statement.
The Pentagon decision comes as lawyer Mark Paoletta recently accused the Biden administration of having violated the Impoundment Control Act (ICA) by restraining funds kept aside for the border wall project. Enacted in 1974, the ICA prevents government officials, including the president, from “unilaterally substituting their own funding decisions for those of the Congress.” Republican Representative Lloyd Smucker said that the present migrant crisis has partly been triggered due to Biden’s cancellation of border wall funding.
Dipping approval
A new poll conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research has shown that Biden’s immigration policies do not sit well with a significant portion of Americans. 59 percent of poll respondents admitted that ensuring the safe treatment of apprehended children should be a top priority for the administration. Around 40 percent of Americans expressed disapproval of the government’s handling of unaccompanied minors who reach the borders.
“Just 42% of Americans say they approve of how the president is handling immigration in general, and a similar share, 44%, say they approve of how he’s handling border security. Both are significantly lower than the 61% of Americans who say they approve of how Biden is handling his job overall and fall short of the president’s rating on some other issues, including his response to the coronavirus pandemic and managing of the economy,” according to AP News.
