Thread: Immigration detainee release under fire

Immigration detainee release under fire

By Mariano Castillo and Nick Valencia, CNN
updated 4:18 PM EST, Wed February 27, 2013

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
ICE's decision to release immigrant detainees because of budget cuts is being criticized
Republicans say the move puts the public at risk
White House says it had no input in the decision
An immigrant talks about his release

(CNN) -- At first, Miguel Hernandez thought it was a mistake, or worse, a joke.

The 19-year-old had been pulled over for failure to use his turn signal, but the fact that he is an undocumented immigrant landed him in a detention center in rural Georgia.

Hernandez was certain that deportation proceedings would follow soon, and was mulling over it when a guard brought some news: He was being released.

"I was walking and I was thinking, this is a joke. They probably got confused with another guy or something," Hernandez said.

More likely, Hernandez was one of hundreds of undocumented immigrants released from detention because of looming budget cuts set to take effect Friday absent congressional action.

The package of forced budget cuts, known as sequestration, will mean $85 billion of government-wide cuts.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) decision to move detainees to less costly supervision options was met with backlash from Republicans who accuse the Obama administration of using scare tactics to win a political battle.

"It's abhorrent that President Obama is releasing criminals into our communities to promote his political agenda on sequestration," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Virginia, said. "By releasing criminal immigrants onto the streets, the administration is needlessly endangering American lives."

But the White House had no input on the plan, spokesman Jay Carney said Wednesday.

The decision was made by career ICE employees, an administration official told CNN. The move was made because the agency was preparing its year-end budget and had to take budget cuts into consideration, the official said.

An exact number of released detainees has not been released; ICE characterized it as "several hundred." The population of immigration detainees is currently about 30,700.

Those who have been released are non-criminals or low-risk offenders without serious criminal histories, ICE spokeswoman Barbara Gonzalez said.

"Detainees with serious criminal histories are a detention priority and have not been released," she said.

Another ICE official reiterated that all of those released remain in deportation proceedings, released on an order of supervision.

Some of those released will be on intensive supervision, such as ankle monitors, while others will just have weekly check-ins with an ICE officer, the official said.

Hernandez, the young man who was released in Georgia, can't know for sure that he was released because of budget cuts. But he does fit the category of minor offenders, and was released at the same time as dozens of other detainees.

Those being released alongside Hernandez on Sunday were confused about what was happening. Some detainees who had bonds as high as $25,000 were being told they were bonded and released.

Hernandez said he believes some of those released with him are repeat offenders who have been previously deported.

Most were given a paper with a court date, but not Hernandez. He has been waiting for his court date to be mailed to him.

Another congressman, House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, wrote a letter to ICE Director John Morton demanding accountability.

He wants to know exactly how many detainees were released, and where, and the reason for each person's detention.

"This decision reflects the lack of resource prioritization within the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is indicative of the department's weak stance on national security," McCaul said.

Planning for the detainee release began last Thursday, a senior administration official told CNN.

Hernandez said he doesn't understand what all the fuss is about.

"I don't know why this affects them -- I'm not a criminal," he said.

Immigration detainee release under fire - CNN.com

Published February 27, 2013

FoxNews.com

The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee pressed immigration enforcement chief John Morton Wednesday for more details about the release of illegal immigrants in the Southwest, claiming the move reflects a "weak stance on national security."

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, fired off a letter to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement director after ICE disclosed that it had started to release hundreds of illegal immigrants. ICE blamed looming budget cuts for the decision.

McCaul, though, said "this decision reflects the lack of resource prioritization within the Department of Homeland Security" and ICE.

He gave Morton until March 6 to provide a breakdown of how many people have been identified for release, where they will be released from and other details. He also said he was "concerned" that the move was taken without notifying "the appropriate congressional oversight committees."

Pressed Wednesday about the move, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said the decision was made by officials at ICE in order to stay within their budget.

"This was a decision made by career officials at ICE ... without any input from the White House," he said.

Later in the day, the Associated Press reported that the official in charge of ICE removal operations Gary Mead had told coworkers he's leaving the agency. But ICE denied that the decision had anything to do with the controversy over the release of illegal immigrants. ICE spokeswoman Gillian Christensen said Mead announced his retirement to senior leadership "several weeks ago."

"As planned, and as shared with ICE staff weeks ago, Mr. Mead will retire at the end of April," she said.

A number of lawmakers have claimed the administration is taking steps -- like releasing illegal immigrants -- in order to "scare" the public about the impact of the sequester, set to hit Friday.

Administration officials deny this, and say they're doing what they can with soon-to-be-limited resources.

ICE stressed that those illegal immigrants being released are low-priority, and will be monitored.

They say 303 have been released from four Arizona facilities so far. According to ICE, 2,280 detainees are still in custody in those facilities.

"Over the last week, ICE has reviewed several hundred cases and placed these individuals on methods of supervision less costly than detention," an ICE spokeswoman said. "All of these individuals remain in removal proceedings. Priority for detention remains on serious criminal offenders and other individuals who pose a significant threat to public safety."

The move, though, drew condemnation from some officials in the region.

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu on Tuesday described the move as a "mass budget pardon" and suggested the administration was going to unnecessary lengths to demonstrate the impact of the sequester.

"The safety of the public is threatened and the rule of law discarded as a political tactic in this sequester battle," he said in a statement.

Top House lawmaker presses ICE chief for answers on release of illegal immigrants | Fox News

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