Fox's first appearance: Nearly 1 million undocumented immigrants have had their cases dismissed or closed, or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) failed to provide required documentation, according to a new report from the House Judiciary Committee released Thursday. After failing to do so, he remains in the U.S. “indefinitely.”
“Through administrative maneuvering at both the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, the Biden-Harris administration has already enabled nearly 1 million illegal aliens to remain in the United States without being deported; The trend shows no signs of slowing down,” the report said. The House majority decision was first obtained by Fox News Digital.
If you encounter an illegal immigrant, they may be put into deportation proceedings and ultimately have their case brought before an immigration judge for a decision. There are approximately 700 immigration agents across the United States, who are currently facing a backlog of millions of cases after a historic border crisis.
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The report cites briefings to the committee, and staff said that under the current administration, more than 700,000 undocumented immigrants have had their immigration cases dismissed, terminated, or administratively closed, and that “these foreign “People can stay in this country indefinitely without facing immigration issues.” . ”
Additionally, the Department of Justice's Office of Immigration Review (EOIR), which oversees immigration courts, said it reported more than 109,000 cases as pending in fiscal year 2023. This means that the case has been completed but no ruling has been made on the merits of the claim.
Additionally, as previously reported, DHS failed to submit the necessary documentation for an additional 200,000 cases, meaning that “the vast majority of these aliens may also remain in the United States indefinitely.” ”.
“Instead of actually deciding illegal alien cases based on the merits of the alien’s claim for relief, immigration judges under the Biden-Harris administration will consider whether the alien has a valid and successful asylum claim, such as whether the alien has a valid and successful asylum claim. , is tasked with rubber-stamping the dismissal of cases, closures, and case closures, all of which allow illegal aliens to remain in the United States without impacting their immigration status,” the report states. “These types of quiet pardons have become a staple of immigration courts in the Biden-Harris administration.”
Border Patrol agents guide migrants who have crossed into Shelby Park into Border Patrol vans and take them to a processing center in Eagle Pass, Texas, on February 4, 2024. (Photo by Michael Gonzalez/Getty Images)
The report details that DHS issued a memo in 2022 directing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) attorneys to expedite case closure and dismissal in light of the large backlog. There is. The bill was designed to remove “non-priority cases” from the docket, meaning cases that do not pose a threat to national security, public safety or border security.
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Meanwhile, at the Department of Justice, the committee pointed to a 2021 memo issued by Attorney General Merrick Garland in which he called for a process known as an administrative shutdown to allow him to “focus on higher-priority cases.” Restored use. After interviews with officials, including the former EOIR director, the Commission found that immigration judges were encouraged to dismiss or administratively close cases.
“By arming both immigration judges within the Department of Justice and ICE attorneys within DHS, the Biden-Harris administration has vouched for more than 1 million aliens – the vast majority of whom would otherwise be in the United States. They would have no legal basis to stay – could remain in the country indefinitely,” the report said. “This quiet amnesty not only weakens our immigration laws, but also encourages additional illegal aliens to arrive at our borders knowing that they will be released into the United States and will not be deported. ”
Fox has previously said that the dismissal of the case could also be problematic for immigrants, who may feel at a loss about their status and what to do next, since the dismissal does not confer legal status. It was reported.
The Department of Justice declined to comment, but DHS said 96% of notices to appear (NTAs) have been filed since January 2021 and 98% have been successfully filed since the start of FY2023, with a large number of new NTAs. He pointed to the statistics that portions are being submitted. Digitally and automatically integrated into the EOIR system.
DHS states that if an NTA is not filed correctly or is filed late, the NTA will be refiled so that the case can continue at a later date. The report also emphasizes that immigrants are urged to check in and report changes of address so they can continue to receive information about their cases.
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Migrants who crossed the Rio Grande into El Paso, Texas, are lined up along the border wall waiting to be processed by the Border Patrol. (Helica Martinez/AFP via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has emphasized that border encounters have plummeted since President Biden signed an executive order restricting entry into the United States, with encounters down 55% since then. There is. The agency also announced that it completed more than 700,000 removals or returns in fiscal 2010, the most since 2010.
This comes as immigration remains a top election issue heading into the Nov. 5 election, with former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris battling over who is the best candidate to tackle border issues. It was held in the midst of
Get the latest information on the ongoing border crisis from Fox News Digital's Immigration Hub.
