Introducing a revolutionary feature: you can now listen to Fox News articles! Amidst the uproar over the immigration crisis caused by the Biden administration’s mishandling of our southern border, little attention has been given to immigration enforcement within our country. Interior enforcement, which includes locating, detaining, and removing individuals who have entered the country illegally, evaded Border Patrol, overstayed their visas, ignored deportation orders, or pose security threats, is a critical function. However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Mayorkas and his administration continue to dismantle the federal government’s ability to enforce immigration law. This specifically involves the severe decline of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the nation’s leading cross-border law enforcement agency, under Mayorkas’s leadership. As someone who has spent the majority of my career working for ICE, I can attest to the drastic changes that have taken place. One significant development was the issuance of a priorities memorandum by Mayorkas in September 2021, which severely restricted ICE’s ability to make arrests. When I refer to criminal illegal aliens, I am not only talking about those who entered the country illegally-which is a crime itself- but also individuals who have entered illegally and have been convicted of crimes or face pending charges. However, the Biden administration seems to dismiss the fact that these individuals have violated immigration laws and, in some instances, go on to commit serious crimes within the United States. Only after such criminals are convicted of the most heinous crimes does ICE have the authority to target them. Yet, a more proactive approach could prevent many of these crimes if ICE were allowed to fulfill its duty of enforcing immigration law as it is written. But Mayorkas holds a different perspective. He recently stated that simply being in the country illegally is not reason enough for ICE to make an arrest. Consequently, the unelected and unaccountable Secretary of the DHS has disregarded the laws enacted by Congress and signed by the President, leading to a decline in the enforcement of immigration laws. As an expert witness for the State of Texas, I testified against Mayorkas’s directive to undermine ICE. Fortunately, we were successful in that case. However, the administration has since appealed the decision, causing further delay in rectifying the issue. Unfortunately, this delay has severe consequences for the American people. Since the implementation of the Mayorkas memorandum, ICE has reported record-low numbers of arrests and deportations. Simultaneously, illegal immigration at the southern border has reached historic levels. This alone is evidence of the critical role that ICE plays. Yet, soon after taking office, President Biden dropped the Trump administration’s lawsuit against sanctuary jurisdictions, indicating a lack of commitment to apprehending serious criminals. These jurisdictions prevent ICE officers from bringing criminals to justice, and some even refuse access to taxpayer-funded jails housing illegal aliens. Instead, these individuals are released back into society to commit more crimes. Presently, 12 states and 146 counties have declared themselves sanctuary entities, while certain states have passed laws to block ICE from detaining criminal illegal aliens awaiting immigration hearings. Throughout all of this, the DHS has remained silent. The truth is, as long as Biden and Mayorkas maintain their positions, the border crisis will persist. Thousands of immigrants will continue to enter the country illegally each day, along with inadmissible aliens directed through ports of entry despite their lack of eligibility for asylum. Furthermore, even if these individuals go on to commit serious crimes, ICE’s hands will be tied, resulting in an endless cycle of new arrivals. The system is undeniably broken, and this brokenness is intentional. Those who claim that the administration has failed to address immigration do not understand the reality. Biden and Mayorkas have not failed; their plan is succeeding. To read more insights from Tom Homan, former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and current visiting fellow at The Heritage Foundation, click here.
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