Staff ReportsA new report from the House Homeland Security Committee exposes the baffling reality at the U.S.-Mexico border, where more than 85 percent of migrants are being released into American communities faster than hotcakes at a Sunday brunch. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is simultaneously slicing up federal detention space like a butcher at a steakhouse, much to the chagrin of law-abiding citizens who depend on federal enforcement to at least look like it’s doing its job.
Since taking office, President Biden and Vice President Harris have welcomed nearly eight million migrants into the country. Despite regulations designed to keep America safe, they have opted for a “catch and release” policy that has effectively become a get-out-of-jail-free card for countless inadmissible aliens. The report highlights that under DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the mass releasing of migrants has surpassed basic logic, as officials seem to have transformed the border into a revolving door rather than a secured checkpoint.
Congressional Report: Over 85% of Migrants Arriving at Southern Border Released into U.S. as Biden-Harris Slash Detention Space https://t.co/chaLF0stzo pic.twitter.com/RE2mrWlvBE
— ✨🇺🇸Rojas 🇺🇸✨ (@mcucolo57) September 20, 2024
Digging into data, the report reveals that during Fiscal Year 2021, only 36 percent of migrants were detained for any period before their cases were adjudicated. For those keeping score, that’s a slap in the face compared to the Obama administration, which had a more respectable 91 percent detention rate in Fiscal Year 2013. This trend of letting the majority roam free is less about compassion and more about throwing the rulebook out the window—while piling up those illegal entries in exchange for a warm, fuzzy feeling from progressive advocates.
Even more shocking is that since early 2021, 65 to 70 percent of migrants in the Yuma Sector were set loose in American neighborhoods as the DHS all but rolled out the welcome mat. It’s hardly a surprise that border patrol agents are feeling the pressure to keep these numbers down, with high-ranking officials reportedly breathing down their necks to prioritize “catch and release” over public safety. It’s a wonder how those upstairs can still sleep at night knowing they’re simultaneously calling on border agents to act while punishing them for doing their jobs too effectively.
The Biden-Harris team’s efforts to scale back Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) detention space are like watching a circus perform without a net—utterly reckless. Despite having beds available, they consistently opt for less, and now they’re cooking up a scheme to ditch in-person check-ins altogether in favor of an app. What’s next, a Tinder for undocumented migrants? The report further sheds light on the shocking statistic that of an estimated 16.8 million illegal aliens in the U.S., less than 2 percent are even under ICE supervision, with only a minuscule quarter of a percent actually detained. This allows a vast majority to slip through the cracks like sand through fingers, effectively guaranteeing their landing spots in the land of opportunity—no questions asked.
The data points are clear: those who aren’t quickly detained tend to stick around. According to DHS, 82 percent of migrants who are released end up residing in the U.S. long-term, and once they’ve passed the one-year mark, chances of deportation drop dramatically. In contrast, the numbers show that if migrants are detained, they face deportation 97 percent of the time. So, the moral of the story is—if you’re serious about enforcing immigration law, maybe a little less leniency and a bit more detention is needed. But as this administration continues to redefine enforcement to the point of absurdity, it seems likely that citizens will be left to wonder just who is managing immigration policy in this country.
