exclusive: Nearly 40,000 Chinese nationals are among the more than 1.4 million noncitizens who have been ordered deported but are not currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, according to new numbers obtained by FOX News. is included.
These numbers show that as of November 24, 2024, there are currently 1,445,549 aliens on ICE's non-custodial record who are subject to a final deportation order.
Non-custodial records include noncitizens who have received a final order of removal or are in removal proceedings but are not in ICE custody. There are currently more than 7 million people on this roster, including those who are imprisoned by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies rather than by ICE. ICE detainees are on detention records.
Number of Afghans and Chinese nationals crossing key migration borders surges since 2021: Report
(Immigration/Customs Enforcement/File)
Countries at the top of the list include Mexico (252,044 people), Guatemala (253,413 people), Honduras (261,651 people), and El Salvador (203,822 people).
However, other countries include China, which has 37,908 citizens subject to final deportation orders. Other countries include Haiti (32,363 people), Iran (2,618 people), Pakistan (7,76 people), Uzbekistan (975 people), and Venezuela (22,749 people).
China is a geopolitical enemy of the United States, and Republicans have expressed concern about possible espionage and cyberattacks by Chinese Communist Party members who have infiltrated the United States. He claimed to have shipped weapons to Korea.
Lawmakers want a breakdown of nationalities and categories of reasons that would make deportation difficult.
Illegal immigrants from China transport weapons from California to North Korea: Department of Justice
Incoming border czar Tom Homan is tasked with leading the Trump administration's mass deportation operations. (Dr. Phil Podcast YouTube Channel)
The number of illegal immigrants listed in non-custodial records has jumped from 3.7 million in fiscal year 2021 to nearly 4.8 million in fiscal year 2022 and more than 7 million in fiscal year 2023. Many non-custodial records are for recent arrivals, but others may have entered the country as well. I have been in the country for decades.
ICE said in an accompanying document that while it cannot provide reasons for each individual case, there are several reasons why ICE may not be able to remove items despite a final removal order. This includes those who have appealed or received other forms of deportation protection. This includes those eligible for detention alternative programs.
“Non-nationals may seek relief and protection from deportation, which may include asylum, suspension of deportation, and protection under the Convention Against Torture. If granted relief, ICE will not be able to effect deportation,” the memo said.
According to the agency, approximately 55% of final orders are viable due to the above factors. This is also a fluid number, as factors in a case can change.
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He also pointed out that many countries will not accept flights for their nationals returning home. Currently, 15 countries are designated as “non-cooperative”: Bhutan, Burma, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Laos, Pakistan, People's Republic of China, Russia, Somalia, and Venezuela.
Meanwhile, 11 other countries are considered at further risk of non-compliance: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Gabon, Gambia, Iraq, Jamaica, Nicaragua, South Sudan, Saint Lucia and Vietnam.
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Greene on Wednesday accused the Biden administration of “hindering” ICE's ability to detain and remove illegal immigrants.
“These devastating numbers are further indisputable evidence of this reality and should serve as a wake-up call to policymakers to undo this damage and reenforce immigration and immigration laws. It is critical that Congress fully supports the incoming Trump administration's efforts to “secure our borders,'' he said in a statement to Fox.
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The numbers offer a glimpse into the challenges facing the incoming Trump administration as it seeks to establish a historic mass deportation operation after taking office in January. Border Czar Tom Homan told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that threats to public safety will be a top priority, but officials also said illegal immigrants are not off the table when it comes to deportations. said.
The administration also faces challenges in international diplomacy and dealing with countries that refuse to take back illegal immigrants. The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it had conducted another removal flight to China, the fourth such flight to the communist country in less than six months.
FOX News' Bill Melgin contributed to this report.
