Internal Records: Biden’s DHS Knew ‘Sanctuary Country’ Orders Would Free Criminal Illegal Aliens into U.S.

President Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was fully aware that their “sanctuary country” orders would likely free criminal illegal aliens into the United States but issued the orders anyway, new internal records detail.

The records, obtained by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich (R) thanks to his and Montana’s lawsuit against the Biden administration, reveal top DHS officials understood criminal illegal aliens would likely secure release into the U.S. if they implemented the orders.

Those orders, issued in February, prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from arresting and deporting illegal aliens unless they are terrorists, known gang members, or have been recently convicted of an aggravated felony. Analysis suggests the orders are preventing about 9-in-10 deportations.

For example, an illegal alien convicted of rape 12 years ago would not be a priority for arrest and deportation by ICE under the orders because the conviction was more than a decade ago.

The records indicate top DHS officials conducted a review of criminal illegal aliens booked into federal custody in Fiscal Year 2020 to see how many would avoid detention and deportation as a result of the orders.

Subsequently, the records show that the officials were aware the orders would likely release into the U.S. 3,371 illegal aliens convicted of assault, 211 illegal aliens convicted of burglary, 85 illegal aliens convicted of homicide, more than 13,400 illegal aliens convicted of immigration violations, 46 illegal aliens convicted of kidnapping, nearly 900 illegal aliens convicted of larceny, 40 illegal aliens convicted of obscenity, 225 illegal aliens convicted of sexual offenses, 73 illegal aliens convicted of sexual assault, and 143 illegal aliens convicted of stealing a vehicle.

“The DHS records we have obtained convey a shocking disregard for the safety of American communities by the Biden Administration,” Brnovich said in a statement. “The Biden Administration and its radical allies are effectively abolishing ICE through administrative acts.”

Likewise, the records detail how top DHS officials knew the orders would drastically cut the number of arrests of criminal illegal aliens living in the U.S.

“Rough estimate is book-ins would be reduced by 50 percent of historical numbers and the vast majority of book-ins would come from [Customs and Border Protection] transfers,” an ICE official warned top DHS officials in January.

That analysis was somewhat accurate. Since the orders went into effect, the number of criminal illegal aliens in federal custody has dropped 70 percent, and the number of illegal aliens arrested has been reduced by 80 percent. The number of illegal aliens in ICE detention has hit the lowest level in the agency’s history.

As DHS officials suspected, criminal illegal aliens are being released into American communities rather than being turned over to ICE for arrest and deportation. A recent report out of Texas suggested thousands of illegal aliens have been released rather than being turned over to ICE.

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.