Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has released over 435,000 undocumented migrants with criminal convictions into cities across the United States, according to a letter sent by ICE Deputy Director Patrick Lechleitner to U.S. Representative Tony Gonzales this week.
On July 21, 662,566 noncitizens with criminal history were listed on ICE's non-detained docket (NDD). Of these, 226,847 are awaiting criminal charges, while 435,719 have prior criminal convictions. These people are still at liberty while they wait for immigration procedures to begin.
In response to Gonzales' March request for information on immigrants with criminal histories, a letter was sent. Gonzales, a Republican from Texas and member of the House Homeland Security Committee, voiced concerns on the large number of people who have been freed. He described the statistics as "disturbing" and requested action from the Biden administration and sanctuary towns.
Gonzales' worries were shared by House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, who called the circumstances "shocking." The administration, in his opinion, should be held accountable for releasing people he considered "dangerous" into American neighborhoods. Green warned of threats to public safety and demanded that immigration rules be enforced more strictly.
Lechleitner's letter emphasized a number of concerning statistics: 42,915 noncitizens are still facing assault accusations, while 62,231 noncitizens who were found guilty of assault have been freed. In addition, 2,521 people convicted of abduction, 56,533 of drug possession, and 15,811 of sexual assault have all been released from prison. ICE currently holds 2,348 noncitizens convicted of assault and 1,498 with pending assault charges.
Lechleitner said that sanctuary communities, where local law enforcement declines to comply with ICE detainer requests, are partially to blame for the issue. He acknowledged the worries many states have about trust among immigrants, but cautioned that these regulations serve as a cloak for violent criminals who frequently target the same neighborhoods.
In addition, the deputy director of ICE cited flaws in the immigration system and urged Congress to provide the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) additional funding.
In response, Gonzales pledged to advocate for increased funds for ICE so that deporting noncitizens with criminal histories might be prioritized. He called out the actions of the Biden administration and urged them to put pressure on the mayors of sanctuary cities to put public safety first.
Lechleitner pointed out that unprecedented numbers of migrants had been removed and returned under the Biden administration. Almost 900,000 people have been deported or brought back since May. Certain noncitizens, such as those convicted of homicide, cannot lawfully be released by ICE; however, it decides whether to release other noncitizens based on a case-by-case evaluation of the threats to public safety.
The number of people detained by ICE will rise from 34,000 in Fiscal Year 2023 to 41,500 in 2024.