A report from Judicial Watch on Monday revealed the startling details of criminal illegal aliens who have been set free to roam around the United States after being convicted of crimes. Many of the criminals released are violent offenders who have committed homicides, sexual assaults, kidnappings and aggravated assaults. The information comes from a list of 76 documents that Judicial Watch obtained from a lawsuit they filed against the DHS in July, 2014. The lawsuit was filed after the DHS failed to respond in a timely manner to the FOIA request.
The documents also revealed difficulties Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials with some cities who are uncooperative with federal agents. One example cited was an illegal alien who was in jail in Montgomery County, Maryland. The illegal alien was in jail on charges of rape. “ERO [Enforcement and Removal Operations] officers were also denied access to interview the alien at police station last Friday due to Montgomery County prohibitions against immigration enforcement,” a May, 2014 email stated.
In addition to the 165,950 criminal illegal aliens who were ordered to leave the country, 706,950 non-criminal illegal immigrants were also ordered to leave the country. After being released, these 872,900 illegal aliens were free to move about the country but did not self-deport as ordered by the courts, according to Judicial Watch.
Congressman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) called this the “worst prison break in American history.”
A DHS report released at a later date revealed an additional 30,000 criminal illegal aliens that were released into the U.S. general population during the last fiscal year. This brings the total number of criminals released by the Obama Administration to 195,900.
Much of this information would not have been available to the public were it not for the lawsuit filed by Judicial Watch. The Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security would not have been necessary if the DHS had complied with the original FOIA request.
“It’s appalling that we’ve had to sue in federal court to get key information about the Obama administration’s release of 165,950 convicted criminal aliens,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton in a statement releasing their report. “These documents show the Obama administration is lying when it says that its ‘enforcement priorities’ include deporting illegal aliens who have committed heinous crimes. And lawless localities that help protect illegal alien rapists and other criminals show that politicians at all levels put politics above the rule of law and the public safety. Where do the innocent victims of the illegal alien criminals this president’s appointees have set free go for justice?”
Bob Price is a senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas and a member of the original Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and on Facebook.