A Department of Homeland Security report reveals that less than 1% of migrants caught and released on parole have been confirmed to have left the United States, raising concerns about the effectiveness of immigration enforcement.
By yourNEWS Media Staff
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has disclosed that of the 2,572 illegal immigrants caught and released under a parole program last year, less than 1% have been deported or confirmed to have left the U.S. This information raises significant doubts about the effectiveness of the parole system in managing illegal immigration.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has admitted in court documents to losing track of more than 30 migrants and failing to summon over 350 individuals who arrived during the surge following the conclusion of the Title 42 expulsion program, as reported by The Washington Times.
Andrew “Art” Arthur, a former immigration judge and ICE lawyer, criticized the DHS’s ability to enforce immigration laws effectively. “What this control group proves is that DHS isn’t delivering any consequences,” Arthur remarked, challenging Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas’ assurances of timely and impactful consequences for illegal entry into the United States.
The parole program was initiated to expedite the release process as the Trump-era Title 42 policy concluded, anticipating a significant influx of migrants. The migrants were released on the condition that they report to ICE and collect court summonses within 90 days. However, U.S. District Judge T. Kent Wetherell II in Florida, who had previously issued an injunction against the program, required detailed reporting on the paroled immigrants due to concerns over the program’s administration.
ICE’s current data indicates that 32 migrants have yet to check in, and 351 have not received summonses, thus not facing official deportation proceedings. Furthermore, only 11 of the 2,572 migrants have either left voluntarily or have been deported, with a single individual currently detained by ICE.
The analysis provided by Arthur, now associated with the Center for Immigration Studies, suggests that if the DHS cannot effectively manage this smaller, more scrutinized group of migrants, the broader policy’s capacity to control illegal immigration is doubtful.
The demographics of the released migrants encompass individuals from 45 countries, with the majority coming from Venezuela, Colombia, and Peru. Notably, the release included migrants from countries of “special interest” due to terrorism connections, including three from Pakistan, six from Afghanistan, nine from Bangladesh, and one from Somalia, alongside 43 Chinese nationals. The data further reveals that slightly more than half of the migrants were single adults, highlighting the diverse backgrounds of those entering the U.S. under the parole program.