86,000 Criminal Aliens Released by ICE Instead of Deported

Following is a Transcript of Chairman Jason Chaffetz 3 minute Video on "Criminal Aliens Released by the Department of Homeland Security" at this link:  https://www.youtube.com/embed/2QOwAJ2ez6U  Published April, 2016

Preparing for this hearing has been - it's hard to keep your cool in preparing for this meeting.

Let me tell you the heart of why we are here today.  Immigration, and Customs Enforcement [ICE].  I have met with the men and women who work there, wonderful hardworking, dedicated people who do a hard and difficult job.

But I've got to tell you what's going on in Homeland Security, what's going on with Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] is one of the most infuriating things  I think I've seen in this government yet.

In a three-year period immigration customs enforcement has released more than 86 thousand criminal aliens into the American public.  These are people that were here illegally, got caught committing a crime, were convicted of that crime; and then instead of deporting them, they were just released back out in the United States of America.

All told they had more than 231 thousand crimes they were convicted of - 86 thousand of these people.

In 2015, 196 of these people were convicted of homicide and ICE released them back into the public rather than deporting them. 124 of those that were released between fiscal year 2010 and 2015 went on to commit homicide.

Let me give you some other stats. In 2013, ICE released 36,007  criminal aliens -  criminal aliens - who were here unlawfully and present in the United States.As of September, 2014, 5,700 of those individuals went on to commit additional crimes.

In March, 2015, ICE Director Sarah Saldana testified before this committee that during fiscal year 2014 that ICE released  another 30,000 individuals with criminal convictions. In fact, ICE released 30,558 criminal aliens in 2014 who had a combined 79,059 convictions instead of deporting them.  Of those 30,558 criminal aliens, 1,895 were charged with another crime following their release.

Their convictions included  sex offenses, assault, burglary, robbery, driving under the influence and ICE told us that in 2016 the agency released 19,723 criminal aliens with a combined 64,197 convictions including 934 sex offenses, 804 robberies, 216 kidnappings and 196 homicide related convictions and that's on your watch.

They were here illegally; they got caught committing a crime; they were convicted of the crime; and instead of following the law and deporting them you released back out into the public and they commit more crimes. How do you look those people in the eyes?  How do you go back to a family and say you know they were in our detention but we just thought it would be better to let them out in the United States of America.  That is so wholly unacceptable. 

I want t to show you this football stadium.  This is Notre Dame football stadium,  You've released more people that were convicted of a crime that should have been deported than you could fit into that stadium.  You would still have people waiting outside the line.  Those are the criminals that you released instead of deporting.  One of the people that is very passionate about this issue and has spent a lot of time with that is our colleague Mr. DeSantis of Florida.  I would like to yield time to him. 

Does anyone believe any of this will change if Hillary is elected President?