Ransford Perry, a Jamaican immigrant with a record of sex offenses dating back to 2007, faces fresh charges involving a minor, following his release into the community.
Despite facing previous attempts at deportation, Perry remained on U.S. soil, reportedly due to the Department of Homeland Security’s determination that he did not meet their threshold for severity.
According to The Washington Times, in 2007, Perry was accused of attempting to entice a 15-year-old boy to perform oral sex. Ten years later, Perry was also charged with forcible touching and the endangerment of a child under the age of 17.
Despite his record, Perry reportedly did not meet the Department of Homeland Security’s qualifications for deportation. As a result, he was released into the community.
On July 2, authorities in Troy, New York, announced two counts of sexual abuse, two counts of rape, and one count of child endangerment against Perry for in an incident with a 13-year-old girl.
Jessica Vaughan, policy studies director at the Center for Immigration Studies, described the situation as “utterly inexcusable,” arguing that it’s “sad, but all too commonplace that criminals who could and should be deported are so frequently allowed to remain and re-offend because President Biden does not think immigration laws should be enforced.”
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Vaughan’s comments cast a harsh light on the Biden administration’s policy approach to immigration enforcement, particularly in cases involving sex offenders, who, according to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, should be deportation priorities.
Critics of the Biden administration argue that recent restrictions and policies have limited the ability to arrest and deport individuals like Perry.
These policies include requirements for deportation officers to consider factors such as a migrant’s age, family connections, or the elapsed time since a criminal offense before proceeding with deportation, according to The Washington Times.
The overwhelming conditions at the southern border have also had a cascading effect on detention capacities. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been compelled to release numerous undocumented immigrants into communities due to lack of space, with many of those released reportedly having criminal records.
Vaughan concluded, “This case is a tragic indictment of the Biden prioritization scheme, which works harder to protect criminal aliens from deportation than it does to protect Americans from the criminals.”
