DHS/ICE intentionally harming America

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division of DHS released nearly 2,400 criminal illegal aliens in February – including over 300 in a single county in Arizona. And the rationale given was that these were “necessary cuts” because of “looming” sequestration – a claim DHS Chief Napolitano made that we now know to be false. Napolitano lied when she insisted only “hundreds” were released, after the AP reported “over 2,000″ were set loose.

We also found out that DHS did not need to make these cuts to alien detention, given that the department is scheduled to have $8 billion in “surplus funds” available to it at the end of the fiscal year. And also that – while slashing funds for housing criminal aliens – DHS spent lavish amounts at the same time for brand new uniforms for TSA agents.

But now another falsehood has been revealed. ICE had insisted that “only non-violent individuals” were released last month. Thanks to whistle blowers within ICE, an Arizona Sheriff has discovered that ICE LIED about the released detainees being “low risk”, and that several individuals were in fact charged with crimes ranging from manslaughter, robbery and aggravated assault on a police officer. Sheriff Paul Babeu is outraged:

Quote:

“Drug smugglers with cartel ties, forgery, aggravated assault on police officers, convicted child molesters. Everything these whistle blowers have said has checked out almost completely.“

The sheriff said he has also been informed that some of those who were released were facing manslaughter charges and several of those who were released were convicted of extreme DUI.

“What happens when they get into a head on collision with a family? Who will be responsible? Certainly not me or the governor. It’s Janet Napolitano and whomever was involved in this.”

Starting on February 15, 2013, ICE began releasing suspected illegal aliens from a number of ICE facilities including one in Florence, Arizona, which is located in Pinal County. “Sheriff Babeu has requested repeatedly a list of released detainees from the ICE facility [in Florence, Arizona] and a list of the charges they currently face and have faced in the past along with their threat levels. This has been met with constant refusals (by ICE) to provide the information,” said Pinal County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Tamra Ingersoll in an email.

Amber Cargile, a spokesperson for ICE in Arizona, initially attempted to blame the sequester for the administration releasing these illegal aliens from custody. When pressed to explain why nothing about these individuals was shared with the Sheriff’s Office in Pinal County, Cargile said the generic statement was all she was authorized to release.

“The statement and background are all I’m authorized to provide at this time,” Cargile said in an email.

Starting in the middle of February, the administration began releasing suspected illegal aliens from a number of ICE facilities at about one thousand detainees per week. According to an internal ICE document, ICE plans to release one thousand detainees per week until the end of March, when the total number held will be just below 26,000. ICE facilities can hold a bit more than 34,000 detainees.

The move sparked outrage from many in Congress. Matt Salmon of Arizona, whose 5th District includes Pinal County, was one of 37 members of Congress to send a letter to Napolitano angry that the sequester would be used as an excuse to release criminal illegal aliens.

But none of this should come as any surprise to anyone familiar with the history of released detainees under the Obama Administration. According to a study by the Congressional Research Service, nearly 47,000 illegal aliens flagged for deportation between 2009 and 2011 were instead released by the Obama Administration, and 16% of them went on to commit further crimes, including 19 murders, 3 attempted murders and 142 sex crimes, according to CRS and the House Judiciary Committee.

The gross incompetence and willingness to put partisan, ethnic politics above national security merely underscores why the DHS cannot be trusted to implement ANY version of “immigration reform” being considered by Congress.