Quick Hit:

Tens of thousands of illegal immigrants convicted of crimes such as murder and sexual assault are among the at least 662,000 criminal aliens roaming free in the U.S., according to new ICE data. The data, sent to Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales on Friday, raises concerns about sanctuary policies and highlights the strain on ICE’s resources as they contend with a growing non-detained population and limited detention capacity.

Key Details:

• As of July 21st, 2024, ICE reported over 662,000 noncitizens with criminal histories on its national docket, including 13,099 convicted of homicide and 15,811 convicted of sexual assault.

• Sanctuary policies, which restrict cooperation with ICE, were criticized by the agency for "shielding dangerous criminals, who often victimize the same communities."

• From May 2023 to July 2024, DHS removed or returned over 893,600 individuals, but ICE continues to face challenges managing the non-detained docket, which includes more than 425,000 noncitizens with criminal convictions.

Diving Deeper:

Newly released data from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reveals the staggering number of illegal immigrants with serious criminal records who remain at large in the United States. According to the letter sent to Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales on Friday, as of July 2024, there are 662,566 noncitizens with criminal histories in ICE’s national docket. Of these, 13,099 have been convicted of homicide, and 15,811 have sexual assault convictions, while others face charges ranging from robbery to assault.

ICE's letter to Gonzales highlighted that "sanctuary" policies have made it difficult for the agency to apprehend dangerous criminals. The letter noted that "some jurisdictions have reduced their cooperation with ICE, to include refusal to honor ICE detainer requests, even for noncitizens who have been convicted of serious felonies." ICE warns that these policies can "end up shielding dangerous criminals, who often victimize those same communities."

The letter further emphasized the agency’s efforts to remove illegal immigrants despite limited resources and a broken immigration system. Between May 2023 and July 2024, DHS removed over 893,600 individuals, prioritizing those who posed national security or public safety risks. However, ICE remains overwhelmed by the sheer number of noncitizens with pending criminal charges or final removal orders.

As of July 2024, ICE reports that over 425,000 individuals with criminal convictions remain on the non-detained docket, with an additional 222,141 facing pending criminal charges. ICE Deputy Director Patrick J. Lechleitner noted that ICE is bound by certain statutory restrictions, making it difficult to detain and deport many noncitizens who have committed serious crimes. For example, under certain conditions, noncitizens convicted of homicide may not be eligible for release from ICE custody, but many others are released under specific guidelines.

The report also shed light on ICE's detention capacity, which has increased to 41,500 beds for the remainder of the fiscal year 2024, up from 34,000 in FY23. However, critics argue that the growing number of non-detained immigrants indicates that many of these detention beds remain unused.

Rep. Gonzales and other lawmakers have called for stronger enforcement measures and criticized the Biden administration for policies that they believe contribute to the ongoing crisis at the border. Gonzales stated, “Americans deserve to be SAFE in our own communities,” urging the administration to prioritize the removal of dangerous criminals from U.S. streets.

As ICE continues to deal with the surge in illegal immigration, these statistics underscore the urgency for comprehensive reforms and increased cooperation between local and federal law enforcement.