ICE Releases Hundreds of Illegal Immigrants Based on Sequestration Budget Cuts
Author: Law Office of Alena Shautsova
While a polarized U.S. Congress failed to come to terms with sequestration (forced budget cuts), ICE (Immigration Customs Enforcement) released hundreds of illegal immigrants being detained for deportation. The release was prior to and in anticipation of sequestration, which now has gone into effect.
According to the Washington Post, ICE spokeswoman Gillian Christensen reviewed several hundred cases of immigrants being detained in jails and released them on an “appropriate, more cost-effective form of supervised release.” She stated that ICE’s priority remains on detaining serious criminal offenders and individuals who pose threats to public safety. Immigrants released from ICE jails still face deportation proceedings, but at less expense to the government.
According to National Immigration Forum, the government spends approximately $164 a day per illegal immigrant to maintain the individual in jail whereas supervised release ranges from 30 cents to $14 a day. Director of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Janet Napolitano advised reporters that DHS may not be able to keep up with the expense of maintaining approximately 34,000 immigrants in ICE jails.
ABC News reported that the mass release was unprecedented. In addition to sequestration affecting detainment, immigration courts judges and staff taking a furlough one day a week can slow down deportation. There is already a backlog of 323,725 immigration cases.
If you face immigration issues, such as detainment or deportation, get legal help from a immigration lawyer.