Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is demanding President Joe Biden stop releasing criminal illegal aliens and directing state agencies to notify local law enforcement every time a criminal illegal alien is released in their community as a result of Biden’s “sanctuary country” orders.
During a press conference with Angel Families on Thursday, DeSantis announced directives to state agencies in an attempt to ensure that criminal illegal aliens are not released in Florida communities.
In February, top officials at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency announced sanctuary country orders that prevent agents from arresting and deporting about 9-in-10 illegal aliens who would otherwise be deported.
DeSantis called Biden’s orders a “reckless policy” and a “disregard for public safety and the rule of law” during the press conference and in a letter to the administration.
“These are convicted felons who are here illegally,” DeSantis said. “If you can’t remove them, then what do you have? Just a complete lawless system and a complete open border?”
In his letter, DeSantis writes that potentially 50 criminal illegal aliens could be released into Florida communities following their prison sentences over the next month thanks to Biden’s orders. Over the next six months, DeSantis writes, potentially 200 criminal illegal aliens could be released.
DeSantis writes:
The Biden administration’s abdication of responsibility to enforce America’s immigration laws reflects your disregard for public safety and the rule of law, which our state cannot endorse. [Emphasis added]
As you well know, several criminal aliens were recently released in Florida, at the direction of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who otherwise would have been detained by federal authorities. Dangerous felons were set free into our communities despite federal immigration laws. [Emphasis added]
Over the next thirty days, as many as 50 potential criminal aliens are to complete their Florida prison terms subject to ICE detainers. That number could rise to as many as 200 felons within six months — all confirmed or suspected illegal aliens having been convicted or currently serving in prison. These felons would traditionally be, and are expected to be, transferred to ICE custody. I demand that your administration continue working with our officials to ensure all such felons are detained by ICE until their status is adjudicated, and, if found to be in this country illegally, removed effected. [Emphasis added]
Read the full letter here:
Letter to Secretary Alejand… by John Binder
In addition, DeSantis is directing state agencies to identify criminal illegal aliens in prison and “pursue all legal means available to transfer them to ICE custody upon completion of their Florida prison terms.”
Also, DeSantis is mandating monthly updates to his office from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on all criminal illegal aliens who have had their ICE detainers lifted before their release dates from prison and when criminal illegal aliens are released in Florida at ICE’s direction.
As part of the directives, DeSantis will require state agencies to notify local law enforcement when criminal illegal aliens are released into their communities as a result of Biden’s orders and begin tracking new crimes committed by those released.
“If ICE is not willing to take custody and remove and ICE wants them released into our society, then any additional crime that is committed is, by definition, one that should have been prevented,” DeSantis said.
The directives come after Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration’s sanctuary country orders and detailed seven cases where criminal illegal aliens were going to be released or had already been released from state prisons because of the orders.
The lawsuit reveals that in less than a month, Biden’s orders had helped criminal illegal aliens convicted of burglary, cocaine trafficking, grand theft auto, heroin trafficking, credit card fraud, and money laundering get released back into Florida communities rather than being deported.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.
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