Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has drafted plans to release thousands of illegal immigrants and lower its capacity to detain them, according to a report from The Washington Post.
The proposal comes after Congress halted a bill that included a measure to rectify ICE’s $700 million budget deficit.
To cut costs, ICE is now considering releasing about 16,000 migrants, detaining 22,000 from 38,000.
DHS spokesperson Erin Heeter told the outlet, “Most recently, Congress rejected the bipartisan national security bill out of hand, which will put at risk DHS’s current removal operations. A reduction in ICE operations would significantly harm border security, national security, and public safety.”
NEW: Following failure of the border deal, WaPo reports that ICE has drafted plans to mass release thousands of detainees and drastically slash its detention capacity from 38,000 to 22,000 due to a $700 million budget shortfall the bill would’ve erased.
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) February 14, 2024
The border legislation…
American Faith reported that more than one million migrants have already been encountered at the southern border since the beginning of fiscal year 2024.
The number is about 100,000 greater than the same period last year.
Chinese migrants were the fastest-growing group crossing the border, with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) having encountered 20,000 since October.
