Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has spent millions of dollars on unused bed space, but hundreds of thousands of criminal immigrants are not in the agency's custody.
According to data released Thursday by Acting ICE Director Patrick Rechleitner and provided to Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzalez, ICE's non-citizens with criminal convictions are on ICE's non-custodial docket as of July 21. More than 425,000 people live in the United States. This newly released information comes shortly after an inspector general report determined that the agency: spent Approximately $160 million for unused ICE beds. (Related: 'We were worried': Harris border mayor's visit recalls dark days of crisis)
The non-custodial list also includes 222,141 immigrants with pending criminal charges, according to the ICE letter. Those not in custody include non-citizens convicted of murder, kidnapping, sexual assault, and other heinous crimes.
Undocumented immigrants and other noncitizens listed on ICE's non-custodial records may be incarcerated in local or state facilities or left to roam within the country.
Brentwood, New York – March 29: Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) ICE agents arrested an MS-13 gang member and a Honduran immigrant at a home in Brentwood, New York on March 29, 2018. threatened the suspect. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
“Kamala Harris is not only Biden's border czar, but also Biden's ICE repeal director, leading the agency charged with enforcing immigration laws that allow convicted murderers and rapists to roam free. RJ Howman, director of the National Immigration Enforcement Center, said. he told the Daily Caller News Foundation after receiving the data. “This is an act of treason.”
According to the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General (OIG), many criminal illegal immigrants remain out of ICE custody, while eight prisons across the country had no unused ICE beds between fiscal years 2020 and 2023. Approximately $160 million was paid for the space.
The report said costs vary by prison facility, with some facilities receiving tens of millions of taxpayer dollars in unused bed space. For example, the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, was paid $40 million for unused bed space.
The OIG report also states that while ICE must leave room for unanticipated fluctuations in the immigrant population in its custody and comply with other regulations, ICE must properly manage taxpayer funds. He also pointed out that there is.
“ICE needs to ensure that it has and maintains enough bed space to meet the demands of a rapidly growing population, and adjusts to health and safety requirements, but balances this out to avoid wasting funds on empty beds.” “There is also a need to strive to achieve this,” the report states.
Mr. Rechleitner's letter to Mr. Gonzalez also revealed the extent to which sanctuary cities, or jurisdictions, are regulated. almost refuse Cooperate with federal immigration authorities – Make it harder for deportation officials to apprehend criminal immigrants.
From October 1, 2020 to July 22, 2024, a total of 23,591 ICE detainees were turned away by state and local law enforcement authorities, according to the letter. The vast majority of detainees released by ICE in recent years were either refused service or given “insufficient notice” by the localities served.
“The truth is clear: We have an influx of illegal immigrants with criminal records into our country,” Gonzalez said. said Friday is about ICE data. “The data released by ICE is beyond alarming and should serve as a wake-up call to cities across the country hiding behind the Biden-Harris administration and sanctuary policies.”
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