The Department of Homeland Security released more than 3,700 "Threat Level 1" illegal immigrant criminals from custody in 2014, according to data released by Congress.
Threat Level 1 criminals are considered the first illegal immigrants who ought to be deported. Homeland Security also had the option to keep these criminals in detention,
The Washington Times reported.
However, according to data that House Judiciary Committee Chairman and Virginia Rep. Bob Goodlatte obtained, 57 percent of those who were released by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), were done so by choice.
"Put aside the spin, and the fact is that over 17,000 of the criminal aliens released last year were released due to ICE discretion, representing 57 percent of the releases," Goodlatte said. "The Obama administration’s lax enforcement policies are reckless and needlessly endanger our communities."
ICE told the Times that each person who was released was done so on a case-by-case basis and each release is taken very seriously.
"Not all Level 1 criminal aliens are subject to mandatory detention and thus may be eligible for bond," the agency told the Times.
"ICE personnel making custody determinations also take into consideration humanitarian factors such as deteriorated health, advanced age, and caretaking responsibilities," ICE explained in a statement.
"All custody determinations are made on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration the totality of circumstances in each case," the agency added.
According to the ICE officials, once the Threat Level 1 criminals are released, they are closely monitored by ICE via ankle bracelets, phone calls or through paying a bond.
That being said, ICE also said that almost all of those who were released with electronic ankle bracelets violated the rules that they were supposed to follow.
Of the 41,000 immigrants released in fiscal year 2014 with electronic monitoring, 30,000 broke their release terms, and several had more than one violation — totaling almost 300,000 violations altogether.
According to ICE, some violations can be relatively minor, including not having a cell signal strong enough when phone calls are made, someone calling in too early or slightly late. Monitoring devices have also been set off from the electronic bracelets getting messed with while the immigrants were playing sports.
The Times notes that only 2,420 detainees out of the 30,000 immigrants, who broke the terms of their release, were considered severe enough to require that they be rearrested.
According to an Inspector General report, one thing that makes it difficult for ICE officials to keep all these illegal immigrants detained indefinitely while they are being processed in the legal system or when they break the rules of their release is a lack of room for them, the Times reported.
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