They’re not even trying to hide their lack of enforcement of immigration law.
The president of the National Border Patrol Council testified before Congress that a top Homeland Security official told agents that the Obama administration has “no intention of deporting” most illegal aliens.
This “catch and release” policy amounts to a de facto amnesty for the tens of thousands of illegals who jump the border every year.
DHS claims that the policy is in place because immigration courts are clogged up. So instead of expanding the number of judges and courts, they simply give up and allow the illegals to disappear into the underground.
Mr. Judd provided his testimony in written answers released Monday by the House Judiciary Committee, saying that even in some criminal cases, agents are ordered to let illegal immigrants go without ever issuing them a Notice to Appear, or NTA, which is what puts them into deportation proceedings.
Mr. Judd said they took their case directly to Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who told them not to bother.
“Deputy Secretary Mayorkas told us that the Border Patrol needs to focus its resources towards the worst of the worst. He said that by prioritizing those we choose to deport, we will help alleviate the burden on an already overburdened court system,” Mr. Judd recalled.
“He further stated, ‘Why would we NTA those we have no intention of deporting?’ He also stated, ‘We should not place someone in deportation proceedings, when the courts already have a 3-6 year backlog,’” Mr. Juddrecounted. “Since the day of this meeting, we have seen no improvements in our enforcement efforts and the morale of the Border Patrol agents is one of, if not the lowest in the entire federal government.”
Immigration agents have complained for several years that Mr. Obama has tied their hands, forcing them to release illegal immigrants who should have been easy deportation cases.
Customs and Border Protection, the agency that oversees the Border Patrol, declined to comment on Mr. Judd’s testimony.
But CBP Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske, testifying to Congress earlier this month, brushed aside Mr. Judd’s comments, saying he didn’t believe agents were releasing people without putting them through the full process.
Mr. Kerlikowske said Mr. Judd was “probably not the most knowledgeable organization about what’s actually going on” in the field with Border Patrol agents, and he said agents that object to Mr. Obama’s policies should quit.
The backlog of immigration court cases is meaningless. Seventy-five percent of illegals fail to show up for their hearings anyway. And DHS has no way to keep track of those they release under this policy.
President Obama’s policies have made it only more difficult to fix this broken system. Adding to the problem by increasing the number of illegals is irresponsible governance – which just about sums up the president’s terms in office.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member