A federal judge has disclosed that 40% of illegal immigrants apprehended and later released under the Biden administration’s “parole” program did not appear at court.
According to The Washington Times, while more than 40% of these migrants never checked in at all, only 464 out of 1,507 who did check-in were issued a notice to appear, resulting in 82% of the parolees not being entered into the immigration court docket.
With over 40% of migrants issued a court appearance checking in with the government, District Judge T. Kent Wetherell argues parole is not an effective way to uphold U.S. immigration laws.
According to data the government submitted to the district judge, the recent statistics underscore the shortcomings of the parole system in dealing with immigration infractions.
“ICE’s success rate for this test population is only 18%,” Wetherell said. He added, “These statistics are troubling to say the least. But even more troubling is the fact that DHS apparently does not have a plan in place to track down the aliens who are in violation of the conditions of their ‘parole’ — and, thus, unlawfully in the country.”
Wetherell’s assessment echoed the concerns of Andrew Arthur, a former immigration judge and congressional staffer, who stated, “This underscores the Biden administration’s disregard for the laws Congress has written.”
According to The Washington Times, the migrants in question were among those intercepted leading up to the termination of the Title 42 pandemic border expulsion authority on May 11. Expecting a rush at the border, Border Patrol announced it would utilize the ‘parole’ program to catch and release individuals rather than processing them fully and issuing court summonses.
A total of 2,572 individuals were processed for parole before the end of Title 42, but they were not released until after its expiration.
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Despite the recent statistics, both ICE and the Department of Homeland Security claim they are maintaining their commitment to the enforcement of immigration laws. “ICE is prepared to take such actions as may be required to ensure that individuals who were released pending the initiation of their immigration court proceedings comply with the terms of their release,” Sarah B. Fabian, a Justice Department lawyer, informed Judge Wetherell.
Though the numbers paint a dire picture of the situation, Judge Wetherell insists these figures are only “the tip of the iceberg,” suggesting an even larger underlying issue. According to Arthur, at least 2.1 million people have been caught and released by the administration, and he predicts their compliance rates to be just as dismal.
Meanwhile, the data sheds light on the demographics of the paroled population. Venezuelans led with 559 migrants, followed by Colombians and Peruvians. Surprisingly, the data also highlighted 170 Mexican nationals who earned parole. ICE’s 24 regional areas recorded the highest number of migrant check-ins in New York City, followed by Chicago and Boston.
As the government grapples with these developments, it’s clear that a comprehensive strategy is needed to address the complexities of the immigration system, which remain a national security concern.
This news article was partially created with the assistance of artificial intelligence and edited and fact-checked by a human editor.
