More than 13,000 immigrants convicted of murder — either in the U.S. or abroad — are living freely outside of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities, according to data ICE presented to Congress earlier this week.
The immigrants are part of ICE’s “non-detainer” docket, meaning the agency has some information about the immigrants and they have pending immigration cases in the U.S., but either because they are not a priority for detention or they are not currently in custody by ICE. can’t find them.
Acting ICE Director PJ Lechleitner released the data collected on July 21 as part of a request by Texas Republican Congressman Tony Gonzalez in March.
It is not clear when the first migrant from 13 thousand people crossed to the United States Two law enforcement officials familiar with the data told NBC News that many of the migrants on ICE’s non-arrest files, including felons, crossed into the U.S. under previous administrations, including former President Donald Trumpof
During a campaign stoppage in Michigan on Friday, Trump He used the data to criticize Vice President Kamala Harris for her current immigration policies.
“I can finally look at them and say ‘I told you so’ to fake news.” Trump he said. “These are serious, hardened, brutal criminals who can walk freely in our country.”
The The White House has not commented on the information yet. An official told NBC News that the disclosure came as a surprise to the White House.
Immigrants accused of killing 13,099 people living in the United States never contacted ICE, two law enforcement officials said. Some may have crossed the border and then been released because the Border Patrol does not have information about their criminal histories. In many cases, the United States is not notified of a criminal conviction until after someone crosses into the country.
In other cases, migrants convicted of crimes can be released by state and local officials after serving time without notifying ICE, as is the case in many sanctuary cities. ICE must then locate the inmate upon release in order to detain and deport him.
Two law enforcement officials said ICE gives preference to migrants convicted of serious crimes, such as murder, for detention.
But the agency’s limited resources limit how many they can find and arrest. There are currently more than 7.5 million immigrants on ICE’s “non-detained” docket, meaning they have immigration cases but are not currently in custody.
Lechleitner told NBC News more local jurisdictions are cooperating and is beginning to rethink its asylum policies amid increased attention to migrant crime.
NBC News joined ICE agents in Maryland earlier this year as they arrested a man convicted of murder in Colombia and a man convicted of attempted murder in El Salvador.
Agents explained that locating convicted felons who are at large requires a large amount of manpower from finding them to incarceration.