A federal judge has disclosed that 40% of illegal immigrants apprehended and released under the Biden administration's "parole" program failed to appear in court. This alarming statistic has shed light on the weaknesses of the parole system in dealing with immigration infractions, drawing attention to the need for a more comprehensive strategy to address the complexities of the immigration system.
According to data provided by District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, out of the 1,507 migrants who checked in with the government, only 464 were issued a notice to appear in court, resulting in a staggering 82% of parolees not being included in the immigration court docket. This means that a significant number of individuals were granted parole but never showed up for their scheduled court hearings, indicating a lack of accountability within the system.
The success rate for this test population under the parole program was only 18%, which Judge Wetherell argues is evidence that parole is not an effective method to uphold U.S. immigration laws.
Andrew Arthur, a former immigration judge and congressional staffer, expressed concern about the Biden administration's apparent disregard for Congress written laws. The decision to release migrants on parole rather than following proper processing and court summonses has led to a situation where a total of 2,572 individuals were processed for parole before the end of Title 42, but they were not released until after its expiration.
Notwithstanding the troubling statistics, both Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security have asserted their commitment to enforcing immigration laws. Judge Wetherell believes that the reported figures are merely the "tip of the iceberg," indicating a larger underlying issue. Andrew Arthur estimated that at least 2.1 million people had been caught and released by the administration, with similarly low compliance rates.
ICE's 24 regional areas recorded the highest number of migrant check-ins in New York City, followed by Chicago and Boston.
The situation at hand serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for a comprehensive strategy to address the complexities of the immigration system, which remain a significant national security concern. The current parole system's shortcomings have exposed vulnerabilities and raised questions about its suitability as a mechanism to manage immigration infractions effectively.