Thousands of criminal illegal aliens, including those convicted of homicide and sex crimes, may evade deportation as internal records reveal that President Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) does not classify them as “priority” for immigration enforcement.
Internal DHS records, obtained by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, show that thousands of criminal illegal aliens in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody do not meet the Biden administration’s narrow requirements that allow federal agents to deport someone to their native country.
The Biden orders, known as “sanctuary country” orders, effectively prevent ICE agents from arresting and deportating criminal illegal aliens unless they have been recently convicted of an aggravated felony or are terrorists or gang members.
The records reveal that before implementing the orders, top DHS officials reviewed the potential impact on criminal illegal aliens already in federal custody — listing those who would be eligible for deportation as “priorities,” while those unlikely to be deported are classified as “no known priority.”
Of the more than 14,100 criminal illegal aliens in federal custody, the records show that DHS has no plans to deport about 8,325, including:
- 19 convicted of homicide
- 27 convicted of sexual offenses
- 9 convicted of sexual assault
- 375 convicted of assault
- 17 convicted of burglary
- 9 convicted of commercialized sexual offenses
- 4 convicted of kidnapping
- 7 convicted of obscenity
- 13 convicted of robbery
- 19 convicted of stealing a vehicle
- 91 convicted of larceny
Another internal DHS record finds that ICE agents were told in early February that, should there be any doubt about an illegal alien’s criminal history qualifying them for deportation under the orders, agents should “err on the side of caution” by postponing their deportation:
If there is any question as to whether an individual falls into the category of posing a public safety threat, managers should err on the side of caution and postpone the individual’s removal until a full assessment, in coordination with local Office of Chief Counsel, is conducted. If there isn’t sufficient time to determine whether an individual was convicted of an aggravated felony or poses a public safety risk, the individual shall be removed from the manifest until such time as the review is completed. [Emphasis added]
As Breitbart News has chronicled, the Biden orders have reportedly helped release thousands of criminal illegal aliens back into American communities who would have otherwise been deported by ICE agents. Some of those illegal aliens include convicted sex offenders released from the U.S. Marshal’s custody.
Last month, the internal records showed that top DHS officials were fully aware that their decision to implement the orders would result in the release of thousands of criminal illegal aliens who would be shielded from arrest and deportation under their narrow enforcement perameters.
Since the orders went into effect, the number of criminal illegal aliens in federal custody has dropped 70 percent, and the number of illegal aliens arrested has been reduced by 80 percent. The number of illegal aliens in ICE detention has hit the lowest level in the agency’s history.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.
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