Documents obtained by Judicial Watch through a Freedom of Information lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security show the Obama Administration has released 165,900 convicted criminal aliens throughout the United States as of April 24, 2014.
Among the freed criminals are murderers, rapists, kidnappers and those convicted of aggravated assault.
In addition, nearly 900,000 illegals captured and ordered to leave the country (otherwise known as self-deportation) were just released and disappeared.
As has been previously reported, and is evidenced in these documents, the 36,007 criminal aliens freed by ICE in 2013 were just the tip of the iceberg. In a DHS “Overview of ICE” document marked “FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY,” the following figures are reported through April 26, 2014 [NOTE: “Final Order” indicates the illegal aliens were ordered to leave the country, but have not done so and remain free]:
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Non-Detained Final Order Convicted CRIMINAL 165,950
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Non-Detained Final Order NON CRIMINAL 706,950
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Non-Detained Final Order TOTAL 872,900
The documents also show how many state and local jurisdictions obstruct enforcement of immigration law.
An email dated May 2, 2014, highlights how such a policy in Montgomery County, Maryland, prevented immigration officials from gaining access to an illegal alien “in state custody on rape charges”:
ERO [Enforcement and Removal Operations] officers were also denied access to interview the alien at police station last Friday due to Montgomery County prohibitions against immigration enforcement.
The documents also include a May 14, 2014, email from House Homeland Security Subcommittee Counsel Valerie Baldwin to ICE Executive Associate Director Thomas Holman expressing the subcommittee’s frustration over ICE stonewalling of information concerning the criminal alien release policies:
Gentlemen, At the ICE hearing and throughout the data call on ICE’s budget request, we’ve requested data on the make-up of the non-detained ATD [Alternatives to Detention] docket, specifically as it relates to violent crimes. I’m wondering why the Washington Times and Washington Post have more information on the ATD population than the Chairman and the other members of the subcommittee. Please respond with an answer today.
Congressman Lamar Smith (R-TX) called this “the worst prison break in American history”.
“According to information obtained by the Center for Immigration Studies, the crimes committed by the released immigrants include nearly 200 convictions of homicide, over 400 sexual assault convictions, more than 300 kidnapping convictions, and upwards of 16,000 drunk or drugged driving convictions.
“This would be considered the worst prison break in American history, except it was sanctioned by the President and perpetrated by our own immigration officials. These criminal immigrants should have been deported to ensure that they could never commit crimes on U.S. soil. But instead, ICE officials chose not to detain them and instead released them back onto American streets.
