Biden Admin Conceals Number of Illegal Immigrants in Monitoring Programs

ICE has yet to say how many illegal immigrants are enrolled in Alternative⁣ to Detention programs

In Violation of Federal ‌Statute: Lack of Transparency on Illegal Immigrant Enrollment

The Biden ⁤administration is failing to ‌provide a full accounting of the number of illegal immigrants in two Alternatives to Detention programs, which is a violation of federal statute.

With ​a record number of illegal border crossings, the public remains unaware of how many illegal immigrants are enrolled in the Case Management Pilot Program and Young Adult Case⁤ Management Program. These initiatives, implemented⁤ by the Biden administration as part of its policy‍ to minimize detention, are among the most lenient programs offered to illegal immigrants by the U.S. ‌government. ‍Despite being ‌legally mandated to publish the number of‍ illegal immigrants enrolled in each program, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has yet to do so.

The lack of⁣ transparency is particularly concerning considering⁢ the generous benefits provided​ by these programs. The Young Adult Case Management program explicitly prohibits GPS tracking ​of participants,​ while the Case Management Pilot Program offers ​various social services, including legal orientation programs and access to affordable housing, child ⁤care, transportation, healthcare, ⁢schooling, and language classes.

“The Case Management Pilot Program⁤ and Young Adult Case Management Program are attempts to divert funding away from law enforcement and towards social services,” said Simon Hankinson, a former foreign service officer and senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation. “The absence of‍ clear, long-term reporting from ICE on Alternatives to Detention numbers and final ⁢case outcomes obscures proper assessment of the programs. Given‌ the Department of Homeland Security director Alejandro Mayorkas’s policy of significantly ​reducing interior enforcement, this lack of transparency appears deliberate.”

House Republicans are taking action to end these programs by leveraging their power ⁣of the purse. The 2024 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill, which ‍passed through committee last month, removed funding for these programs ⁢following the urging of conservative groups like the Heritage Foundation.

“The American people should be outraged ‌that their​ tax dollars are being funneled through ICE to provide social services to illegal aliens,” said R.J. Hauman, president of the National Immigration Center for Enforcement. “Instead of supporting ICE in ‌enforcing the law, the Biden administration is actively undermining them and turning to radical NGOs with no law enforcement background.”

This battle ‌over the two programs coincides with cities across the United States struggling to accommodate the millions of illegal ​immigrants who have entered the country ⁤since​ President Joe Biden took office. New York City mayor Eric Adams recently allocated nearly $300 million to house just 5,000 illegal ‍immigrants, stating that ​the city has run ⁤out ⁤of space.

The Department of ​Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment.

Although federal law requires the Department of Homeland ⁣Security to⁤ detain all aliens ⁢who arrive ⁢in the United States illegally “throughout the completion of applicable proceedings,” the high volume of border crossings often makes it challenging to adhere to this rule. In 2004, ICE ⁤established Alternative ​to Detention programs ⁢to ensure proper removal of aliens with deportation orders.

According to federal data, over 322,700 aliens⁤ were placed in Alternative to Detention programs by the end of the 2022 fiscal year. However, this figure does not include the number ​of aliens enrolled‍ in the Case Management Pilot Program and the Young Adult Case Management Program.

Last year, the Biden administration appointed Church World Service as the lead nonprofit for the Case Management Pilot ​Program, which drew ⁢criticism from‍ Republicans. Church World Service has a history of far-left rhetoric, including calls for the abolition of ICE, and co-signed a letter in‌ 2021 urging the Biden administration to end the prioritization of deporting gang members and ⁣those convicted‍ of‍ aggravated felonies.

Republican senators Roger Marshall (Kan.) and Bill‍ Hagerty (Tenn.) demanded more details from senior DHS officials regarding the criteria for considering an alien for the Case Management Pilot Program, as well as the social services provided by the⁤ program.⁤ They also expressed⁢ concerns about taxpayer money being ‍spent on NGOs‌ that advocate for frustrating and dismantling immigration enforcement⁢ and border security.

The Young Adult‍ Case Management Program,⁣ targeting 18- and 19-year-olds, offers a network of age-appropriate and culturally sensitive community resources, including trauma-informed care. Acuity International, which received an $80 million grant to implement the⁢ program, is responsible for providing deported illegal immigrants with a support system in their home countries.

In the‍ 2022 fiscal⁢ year alone, the United States witnessed over 2.76⁣ million illegal border crossings, ‍surpassing the previous administration’s record by over a million. Recent data from Customs and Border Protection reveals​ a surge in border crossings once again, following a⁣ brief lull in June.