Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and J.D. Vance (R-OH) have accused President Joe Biden of implementing a “de facto mass amnesty policy” by forcing the federal government to halt hundreds of thousands of deportation cases.
Federal data released this week reveals a disturbing trend under the Biden administration: Migrants released into the US interior are increasingly having their deportation proceedings terminated even if they have not secured asylum.
In a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Attorney General Merrick Garland, Thune and Vance requested details about immigrants whose deportation cases are being finalized, including whether they have any criminal convictions.
The Biden administration is trying to appeal to American voters that it has finally taken a tough stance on illegal immigration after nearly three and a half years of inaction and nearly 10 million illegal border crossings, but at the same time it is diverting attention from recent reports that more than 350,000 asylum applications have been terminated without being approved or rejected since 2022.
In addition, there are countless cases that have been effectively shelved due to administrative closures. We believe this amounts to a de facto mass amnesty policy that not only circumvents federal immigration law but could serve as another “trigger” that continues to energize illegal immigration. They are infiltrating across our borders and fueling the humanitarian and national security crisis that continues to unfold under your watch. [Emphasis added]
As Secretary of Homeland Security and Attorney General, you will be responsible for enforcing the nation’s immigration laws and maintaining the integrity of lawful immigration pathways, while playing a critical role in protecting America’s national security. By excluding more than 350,000 people from the thorough asylum process, where each case is monitored to completion, it sends a disturbing message to would-be migrants. The refugee recognition system is so dysfunctional that simply filing a refugee claim, whether or not it is legitimate, can allow someone to remain in the country. [Emphasis added]
Thune and Vance asked Mayorkas and Garland to respond within 14 days.
Federal data from Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) shows that under Biden, the number of immigrants allowed to remain in the U.S. has soared to about 77%, while only 22% have deportation orders in place.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) wrote a similar letter this week, accusing Biden of granting a “de facto amnesty” to hundreds of thousands of immigrants through immigration courts.
“In effect, you have allowed hundreds of thousands of immigrants to remain in the United States indefinitely for no other reason than that their immigration cases were not heard,” Hawley wrote. “In other words, you have created a de facto mass amnesty program that protects immigrants from deportation.”
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter. here.
