Any lingering claims by the Biden administration that “the border is secure” or that “we are following the law regarding illegal immigration” are both erroneous if a new report published this week is accurate.
The Foreign Desk reported that roughly 600,000 migrants who crossed illegally into the U.S. from Mexico in one month — March 2021 — were released into the country and never given a date to appear in court or charged with any crime. Citing an NBC News report, the outlet noted as well that many thousands more migrants have been dropped from a program meant to track their whereabouts.
The outlet noted further:
According to NBC News, the practice came out of necessity as border-crossing numbers toppled previous records, making it a breaking point from the protocol of past administrations. In the past, the U.S. government required migrants to have charging documents with a court date by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) after they were apprehended.
The lack of charging documents left migrants across the U.S. in legal trouble without a court date to determine whether they can legally stay in the states, according to legal officials. Many are unable to work and unaware that they are passing their one-year eligibility deadline to apply for asylum in the U.S.
According to immigration lawyers, many clients walk into their offices confused and wondering what the next step should be for legal residence.
“A lot of the people who are here, they really urgently want to seek asylum. They want their case heard as soon as possible. They do not want to be in limbo,” said Karlyn Kurichety, legal director of Al Otro Lado, a migrant advocacy organization.
As migrants surged into the U.S. after newly-minted President Joe Biden reversed nearly all of former President Donald Trump’s immigration and border security policies, Customs and Border Protection agents released migrants with a “Notice to Report,” instructing them to contact an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office as well as when to appear in court to see if they could remain in the country or be deported.
“In July of last year, ICE started a new program called the Parole Plus Alternatives to Detention or Parole Plus ATD, allowing them to be released without charging documents while their whereabouts were tracked with ankle monitors through an app or telephonically,” the Foreign Desk reported.
“Between March 2021 and January of this year, more than 800,000 illegal migrants were released on Notices to Report or Parole Plus ATD, with around 214,000 issued charging documents with court dates, according to data provided by NBC News. Roughly 588,000 did not know when or where to report for their asylum hearings,” the report added.
“In March 2021, NBC News and other media outlets reported that border agents in Rio Grande Valley were told to release migrants without court dates, as border processing centers were overcrowded and unable to process the files of unaccompanied children arriving.”
Last month, as promised, the new Republican House majority moved quickly to begin holding Biden administration officials accountable for what they perceive as a gross dereliction of duty, negligence, and abuse of trust.
First up on the impeachment hot seat: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Throughout Biden’s first two years in office, Republicans have complained about his lack of immigration and border enforcement as millions of migrants have illegally crossed into the U.S., with many of them being released into the interior with notices to appear before immigration courts years in the future that most will never honor.
At the same time, Republicans have blasted Mayorkas for failing to uphold his oath of office and enforce immigration laws currently on the books, especially those dealing with immediate deportation after individuals cross illegally into the country.
But he has steadfastly refused to do so, offering platitudes during congressional testimony while claiming that the border “is not open” when it clearly is.
And now, Republicans have reached their limit.
“Since day one, Secretary Mayorkas’ policies have undermined law enforcement activities at our southern border,” Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas), who filed articles of impeachment on MOnday, said in a statement to Fox News last week. “From perjuring himself before Congress about maintaining operational control of the border to the infamous ‘whip-gate’ slander against our border patrol agents, Secretary Mayorkas has proven time and time again that he is unfit to lead the Department of Homeland Security.”
“His willful actions have eroded our immigration system, undermined border patrol morale, and jeopardized American national security. He has violated the law and it is time for him to go,” Fallon added.
