Federal immigration authorities have revealed that more than 425,000 illegal immigrants convicted of crimes, including more than 13,000 individuals convicted of homicide, are currently on the non-detained docket of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), meaning they’re not in ICE custody and could be roaming free in the United States.
“The truth is clear—illegal immigrants with a criminal record are coming into our country,” Gonzales said.
Lechleitner’s letter to Gonzales indicates that as of July 21, there were 662,566 illegal immigrants with criminal histories on the agency’s national docket. Of these, 435,719 have been convicted of crimes, while another 226,847 face pending criminal charges.
Of the total number of convicted criminals, 425,431 of them are not currently detained, meaning they remain in the United States under some form of ICE supervision but are not held in ICE custody.
The 425,000-plus individuals on ICE’s so-called “non-detained” docket include 13,099 convicted of homicide, while another 1,845 face homicide charges.
Being on ICE’s non-detained docket does not necessarily mean all these individuals are roaming free in American communities, however. Many may be under various forms of legal supervision or serving time in federal, state, or local prisons for their crimes. Additionally, some individuals on the non-detained docket may have already completed their sentences for their criminal convictions and may be under ICE supervision—though not detained—while awaiting immigration proceedings.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement that the data goes back some four decades, with the custody determinations of the “vast majority” of those on the list being made long before the current administration. Further, the list also includes “many who are under the jurisdiction or currently incarcerated by federal, state or local law enforcement partners.”
Former President Donald Trump took to social media to criticize Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, for what he described as an “unvetted and unchecked” influx of dangerous foreign criminals.
If elected in November, Trump has promised to restore the border policies that were in effect under his administration, complete the wall along the U.S. southern border, “carry out the largest deportation operation in American history,” and increase penalties for illegal border crossings, among other proposals.
Harris, who was tasked by President Joe Biden to address the problem of illegal immigration into the United States, has been a frequent target of criticism over her handling of the border crisis. She visited Douglas, Arizona, on Sept. 27, giving a speech in which she called for stricter asylum policies.
“Those who cross our borders unlawfully will be apprehended and removed and barred from reentering for five years. We will pursue more severe criminal charges against repeat violators, and if someone does not make an asylum request at a legal point of entry and instead crosses our border unlawfully, they will be barred from receiving asylum,” Harris said, promising to implement this policy if elected.
Despite Harris’s proposed changes, the Biden administration has defended its current border policies, arguing that they balance the need for humane treatment of illegal border-crossers with the enforcement of immigration laws.
Biden signed a proclamation on June 4 to suspend asylum requests from illegal immigrants once 5,000 per day had crossed the border. However, he also rescinded many of Trump’s immigration policies on his first day in office, including one that forced asylum seekers to stay in Mexico until receiving a court date from U.S. immigration.
