Often go on to commit additional violent crimes, 8/19/15
(Free Beacon) – The
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been releasing illegal immigrants
with violent criminal records back into local U.S. communities, where they have
often gone on to commit violent crimes against American citizens, according to
new disclosures by a leading lawmaker and local law enforcement agencies.
Rep. Matt Salmon (R.,
Ariz.) and law enforcement officials petitioned the Obama administration
on Wednesday to end a policy that enables illegal immigrants with criminal
records to be released back into the United States.
Arizona law
enforcement officials announced on Tuesday that three illegal aliens with
violent criminal records had been released by DHS and Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) back onto the streets, where they went on to commit crimes
including kidnapping and murdering an infant.
The ongoing release of
criminals from countries such as Iraq, Sudan, and Russia prompted Salmon to
petition DHS “to stop freeing violent criminals who are in our country
illegally,” according to a copy of letter sent to the department and obtained
by the Washington Free Beacon.
At least three illegal
aliens released by DHS in recent weeks have been charged with serious crimes,
including the beating of a 7-week-old baby and immolation of a person,
according to local law enforcement and Salmon.
“Despite the repeated
attacks on American citizens by illegal aliens released from our jails, DHS
refuses to stop freeing violent criminals who are in our country illegally,”
Salmon wrote in his letter to DHS. “Just today, we learned of three more
individuals set free on law-abiding Arizonans by the Department of Homeland
Security. Their crimes included the beating to death of a seven-week-old
baby and the stabbing, beating, and immolation of a police informant.”
One of those released
is accused of kidnapping and murdering a police informant “by taking him to a
wilderness area where he beat, stabbed, and lit his gasoline-soaked body on
fire,” according to Salmon.
“Instead of
immediately deporting them to their country of origin, ICE released these
criminals into Arizona and … chose not to inform local law enforcement before
the release of these criminals was completed,” Salmon wrote.
Salmon and officials
in Arizona law enforcement are demanding DHS do more to prevent such releases.
“U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement under current law can no longer legally hold the three
individuals,” ICE press secretary Gillian Christensen said. “To further promote
public safety and transparency, ICE notified local law enforcement agencies of
the release of the individuals.”
“To be clear, the
backgrounds of the individuals in question would generally make them
enforcement priorities for ICE,” Christensen continued. “However, ICE has no
legal basis for continuing to hold these individuals.” Christensen said one
individual is a lawful permanent resident and the other two were released due
to a Supreme Court decision.
“ICE has been
releasing these criminal illegal immigrants into local communities, that we as
Sheriffs are sworn to protect,” the Arizona Sheriff’s Association (ASA) warned
in a statement issued Tuesday. “You don’t have to be the Sheriff or a
uniformed patrol deputy to realize that these dangerous criminals will reoffend
and victimize our Arizona families.”
Just last week, ICE
began to notify local law enforcement agencies of the release of violent
illegal aliens. The implementation of this notification system comes after
years of pressure from local law enforcement officials. ICE notified Arizona
law officials that three violent illegal aliens had been released back into the
community. “This first such notification of three dangerous criminal illegals
has Arizona Sheriffs angry and concerned for the public’s safety,” the ASA said
in its statement.
The issue has long
plagued local law enforcement agencies, which have found themselves struggling
to protect local communities after the Obama administration frees criminal
illegal aliens.
In 2013, ICE freed
36,007 illegal aliens with criminal convictions across the
nation, according to statistics compiled by Arizona law enforcement.
At least 193 of those aliens released were convicted of homicides, 426 were
convicted of sex crimes, and 303 convicted of kidnapping. “The releases
typically occurred without formal notice to local law enforcement agencies and
victims,” according to the ASA.
In 2014, federal
authorities released another 30,558 illegal aliens with criminal records. “By
simply notifying Sheriffs of the release of dangerous criminals doesn’t address
the core problem that these dangerous criminals remain in America,” the ASA
said.
Salmon says he is
seeking a larger fix to the problem.
“Our Department of
Homeland Security needs to focus more on securing our homeland, not on
cornering the market as a transportation option for illegal aliens in the
United States,” he wrote to DHS. “Americans need protection from violent
criminals and an explanation for why DHS has been so miserably failing at their
primary task.”
“How many more
Americans must be murdered by illegal alien criminals before this
administration begins taking the safety of Americans seriously?” the lawmaker
asked.
Salmon went on to note
that in one instance a illegal alien released by ICE was later apprehended and
charged with “kidnapping, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, armed
robbery, sexual abuse, and child molestation.”
“Obviously this is a
direct result of this administration’s dangerous policy of releasing tens of
thousands of criminal illegal aliens onto our streets and into our
communities,” Salmon said.
Salmon has
championed several pieces of federal legislation that
would end the policy of “catch and release” and also establish mandatory
minimum prison sentences for illegal aliens. “Simply, put, there is no excuse
for ICE to be releasing violent, criminal illegal aliens back onto our streets
and into our communities,” Salmon wrote.
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/obama-administration-releasing-violent-illegal-immigrants-back-into-u-s-towns/
http://www.teaparty.org/obama-dumping-violent-illegals-us-towns-114072/
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