“How many Americans will be killed, maimed, or victimized..."

James Beattie — October 3, 2014
westernjournalism.com

A government watchdog announced Thursday that it filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after it did not meet a request to provide information regarding the release of thousands of illegal immigrants previously in custody.

Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group based in Washington, D.C., is suing DHS because it failed to fulfill a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request regarding the release of 36,000 illegal aliens released by Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) in 2013, according to a report from Centers for Immigration Studies. DHS had until May 15, 2014 to honor the request.

In the lawsuit, Judicial Watch is seeking the following information:

“Any and all records of communications including, but not limited to, email and memoranda, to or from personnel in the office of the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (including its component offices, such as the Office of Public Affairs), from May 1 to May 15, 2014, concerning, regarding, or related to the report published by the Center for Immigration Studies.

Judicial Watch notes in their press release announcing the lawsuit that ICE released 36,007 convicted criminal aliens awaiting the outcome of deportation proceedings, while detailing the crimes committed:

193 homicide convictions (including one willful killing of a public official with a gun)

426 sexual assault convictions

303 kidnapping convictions

1,075 aggravated assault convictions

1,160 stolen vehicle convictions

9,187 dangerous drug convictions

16,070 drunk or drugged driving convictions

303 flight escape convictions

Tom Fitton, President of Judicial Watch posed the question, “How many Americans will be killed, maimed, or victimized by the Obama administration’s release of aliens convicted of violent crimes?”

“Under President Obama, the Department of Homeland Security has turned from a law enforcement agency into one that undermines and violates our nation’s immigration laws in a way that threatens the public safety. And now Homeland Security is in cover-up mode and violating federal law to keep documents about its mass release of criminals away from the American people.”

Investigative reporter Katie Pavlich observed that earlier this year DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee affirming that he was aware of these reports and intended on looking into what happened, but the details never came to light.

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