The illegal immigration crisis along the border has reached a fever pitch, and with the “Catch-and-Release” immigration reform strategy the Biden Administration appears to have re-adopted, the Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has now penned a letter to President Biden demanding that he cancel his recent executive edict that allows criminal illegal aliens to go free.
Biden’s order focuses on those illegal aliens who commit crimes like rape and murder, but all but give a pass to those who commit misdemeanors, including driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated.
Gov. DeSantis wants the Biden administration to send any and all illegal immigrants that are released from prison to be sent directly to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to face possible deportation.
“Florida will not sit by and watch idly as the federal government sets criminal aliens free and abdicates its legal obligation to enforce immigration law,” said Governor DeSantis. “That’s why I’m calling on President Biden and ICE to take immediate action to detain and remove these dangerous criminal aliens. Too many lives have been lost because immigration officials failed to do their jobs and too many parents have lost children at the hands of criminal aliens who were irresponsibly set free.”
According to a press release by DeSantis executive office, some “ 50 confirmed or suspected criminal aliens will complete their state prison terms” with 4 times as many to be release over next 6 months. Over the next 6 months, FDC estimates that number will rise to approximately 200 individuals.
Here are the points DeSantis wants Biden to address:
- Identify all Florida inmates with detainer agreements and pursue all legal means available to transfer them to ICE custody upon completion of their Florida prison terms.
- Provide monthly updates to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Office of the Governor on all inmates who have detainers lifted by ICE during the ninety days prior to release date.
- Provide monthly updates to FDLE and the Office of the Governor on all undocumented inmates released at the direction of ICE.
- Notify local law enforcement whenever undocumented individuals may be released in their communities.
- Work with FDLE to cross-check, on a weekly basis, any released criminal aliens against Florida law enforcement’s statewide reports of new crimes.
- Work with Florida Sheriffs to facilitate use of the national Law Enforcement Notification System (LENS), which provides local law enforcement with information on criminal aliens released from ICE custody in Florida.
- Submit formal requests to ICE under 8 U.S.C. 1373(c) to confirm the citizenship status of all inmates where citizenship status is inconclusive.
Biden tapped Vice President Kamala Harris to lead his effort in addressing the illegal immigration problem along the border, but VP Harris has yet to make a formal statement or hold a press conference, as to what she will do to rectify the problem.
