More than 13,000 immigrants convicted of homicide, either in the U.S. or abroad, are living freely in the country according to data provided by ICE to Congress. These individuals are part of ICE’s “non-detained” docket, meaning they have pending immigration cases but are not currently in detention. The data was requested by Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales in March and collected as of July 21.
Many of these migrants, including serious criminals, crossed into the U.S. under previous administrations, with some coming in during the Trump administration. Former President Donald Trump used this data to criticize current immigration policies during a campaign stop in Michigan.
It is noted that some immigrants may have never had contact with ICE, as in some cases the criminal history of individuals is not known until after they enter the country. Additionally, some convicted criminals may be released by state and local officials without ICE being notified, especially in sanctuary cities. ICE prioritizes the arrest of migrants convicted of serious crimes, but limited resources make it challenging to locate and detain all individuals.
NBC News accompanied ICE agents during an arrest operation in Maryland, where individuals convicted of murder in Colombia and attempted murder in El Salvador were apprehended. Lechleitner, the Acting ICE Director, mentioned that more local jurisdictions are starting to reconsider their sanctuary policies in light of the increased attention on migrant crime. Overall, the release of this data has shed light on the challenge of locating and arresting criminals living freely in the United States.
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