As Border Patrol agents in California struggle to cope with the thousands of illegal immigrants flooding into the United States each day, one entire holding facility is being used to hold just five people.
The well-equipped Adelanto ICE processing center, about 130 miles northeast of Los Angeles, can hold up to 1,940 detainees, but remains nearly empty. Meanwhile, the San Diego border area to the south is completely under control, with 37,000 illegal border crossers arrested in April alone.
The facility is under a judge’s order preventing it from accepting more inmates in 2020 following a lawsuit over the spread of the coronavirus.
The order allows detainees to maintain “six feet of social distancing from each other at all times,” even though other detention facilities around the country have abolished such rules.
Border Patrol typically holds detainees for up to 72 hours, but those flagged as potential threats are sent to ICE facilities for further investigation.
“If the Biden administration is serious about using detention beds, it will seek to lift the COVID-era court order in Adelanto,” former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Field Director John Fabricatore told the Post. .
“This situation is nearing a boiling point as we continue to allow individuals from hostile countries to enter the United States without restriction,” he added.
San Diego apprehended 10,000 immigrants from 69 countries in one week in April, according to the Border Patrol’s chief agent. Patricia McGuirk Daniel.
Federal officials told the Post that when border areas are congested (such as San Diego, which sources say was holding about 1,500 more migrants than space as of Wednesday), migrants are moved more quickly. He explained that the matter needed to be processed in the first place, and that a more rigorous investigation would not be conducted. .
So the ability to send people to ICE for further evaluation is critical.
“[The administration’s] The inaction resulted in special interest aliens (individuals from countries with positions hostile to the United States) being released into U.S. society rather than being detained pursuant to normal protocol.” Torre added.
Recent failures at the border include releasing into the United States a known Somali terrorist and a Colombian fugitive wanted on murder charges. Both cases were acknowledged by federal authorities only after they were rearrested.
Republican Rep. Jay Obernolte, whose district includes Adelanto, pressed the Biden administration to resume normal operations.
Data obtained by the newspaper shows that taxpayers are funding space for 640 people, even though the facility only houses five people.
“The Adelanto ICE Facility is the only correctional facility with an absolute no intake ban due to COVID-19.
“We must bring this facility fully online and leverage its capacity to alleviate the economic burden that the massive flow of illegal immigrants pouring across our borders is placing on our communities. ” Obernolte said.
The Biden administration had planned to close the Adelanto facility in December, but ICE began a 60-day evaluation of the detention center, followed by an additional 120 days “for possible relief from ongoing litigation that would prevent full use of the facility.” “It gives you additional time to get used to it.” ” Fox News reported in January.
Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security responded to The Post’s requests for comment.
