President Joe Biden’s “sanctuary country” orders for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are resulting in the release of criminal illegal aliens at Florida jails.
After taking office, Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued the sanctuary country orders that prevent ICE agents from arresting and deporting illegal aliens unless they are recently-convicted aggravated felons or are known terrorists or gang members.
In Martin County and St. Lucie County, Florida, the Biden orders have resulted in ICE dropping detainers on criminal illegal aliens in local custody. ICE detainers typically prevent criminal illegal aliens from being released into American communities.
Martin County Sheriff William Snyder told WPTV 5 News that “close to 50 percent” of the criminal illegal aliens in his agency’s custody are having their ICE detainers dropped and law enforcement is not told why.
“We’ve had some problem with ICE dropping holds so we have people that have ICE holds and inexplicably they’re dropped,” Snyder said.
This year, ICE has had 24 detainers on criminal illegal aliens in Martin County. Thus far, 11 of those detainers have been dropped. This indicates that unless the county can keep the criminal illegal alien in their custody, they will be released back into the community.
In St. Lucie County, ICE has placed 26 detainers on criminal illegal aliens this year and two have been dropped.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, who filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration in March over the sanctuary country orders, detailed multiple cases in which criminal illegal aliens in the state were being released into communities rather than being turned over to ICE.
Similar releases have occurred in Arizona.
In early May, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich revealed that criminal illegal aliens convicted of armed robbery, drunk driving, drug crimes, and arson to walk free out of prison instead of being taken into custody and deported by ICE agents.
The latest arrests of illegal aliens by ICE, reported by Fox News’ Adam Shaw, shows the Biden administration has cut down the number by nearly 50 percent compared to last year. For example, in May, ICE arrested just 2,837 illegal aliens whereas in May 2020, ICE arrested 5,579 illegal aliens.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.