Only 3 percent of the illegal immigrants arrested at the U.S. border with Mexico over the past two and a half years have been returned to their home countries, Sen. Jeff Sessions said Tuesday.
At a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill, the Alabama Republican said that only 4,680 of the 127,000 illegals have been returned.
He challenged Thomas Homan, a senior official at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, on whether the administration was returning illegals.
"So, isn’t it the truth, Mr. Homan, that these individuals … go out into the country — and if they don’t show up for court, nobody goes out and looks for them?" he asked.
"I wouldn’t say that was accurate," Homan responded. "They’re difficult to find. If they don’t show up for court, they’re difficult to locate."
He then asked how many ICE officers were devoted to finding those who do not show up for court.
"They look for people who have final orders of removal whether that’s in person or absentia, we do look for them," Homan said.
His response did not satisfy Sessions, however.
"Nobody's looking for them," the senator charged. "The system is not working. All you have to do is come into the country unlawfully, be released into the country, and if you don’t show up for court, you’re never looked for, and you aren’t deported.
"That’s why the numbers are only 3 percent are being returned," he added. "It's causing these children to take undue risk — and it violates our law and it's got to end."
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