The Biden-Harris administration have destroyed the border. But the reality is far worse.
And now ICE announced terrifying news from the southern border that is dropping jaws.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on unused bed space while allowing hundreds of thousands of criminal migrants to remain free, as Merrick Garland’s Justice Department continues to drop the ball on immigration enforcement.
As of July 21, more than 425,000 convicted criminal noncitizens are on ICE’s non-detained docket, living freely across the U.S., according to data released by ICE acting Director Patrick Lechleitner.
This staggering number was disclosed to Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), alongside additional revelations that another 222,141 migrants with pending criminal charges are also on ICE’s non-detained list.
Adding to the outrage, a recent inspector general report revealed that ICE squandered approximately $160 million on unused detention bed space, all while these dangerous criminals remain loose.
It’s yet another example of the Biden administration’s lax enforcement of immigration laws under the so-called leadership of Merrick Garland and Vice President Kamala Harris, who seems more interested in dismantling ICE than in securing the border.
“[Vice President] Kamala Harris isn’t just [President Joe] Biden’s border czar, she’s also his ‘Abolish ICE Director,’ directing the agency in charge of enforcing our immigration laws to allow convicted murderers and rapists to roam free,” said R.J. Hauman, president of the National Immigration Center for Enforcement.
“This is an act of treason.”
And while ICE is letting criminal illegal migrants off the hook, the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General revealed that eight prison facilities across the U.S. were paid $160 million for unused bed space between fiscal years 2020 and 2023.
The waste is staggering—one facility, the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, received $40 million for empty beds.
While ICE is required to maintain enough bed space for surges in detainee populations and to comply with safety regulations, the inspector general report emphasized the need for balance to avoid this level of waste.
“ICE must also strive for balance to avoid wasting funds on empty beds,” the report stated. Clearly, this balance has been completely overlooked under Garland’s DOJ.
Making matters worse, Lechleitner’s letter to Rep. Gonzales highlighted how sanctuary cities—places that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities—are actively undermining efforts to apprehend and deport these criminals.
Between October 2020 and July 2024, over 23,500 ICE detainers were denied by local law enforcement agencies, making it nearly impossible to get dangerous criminals off the streets.
Rep. Gonzales minced no words about the situation, stating, “The data released by ICE is beyond disturbing, and it should be a wake-up call for the Biden-Harris administration and cities across the country that hide behind sanctuary policies.”
The data paints a damning picture: while ICE wastes taxpayer money, criminal migrants are free to roam the country unchecked.
And the Biden-Harris administration, along with Merrick Garland’s DOJ, continues to fail in its duty to protect the American people.
Stay tuned to Prudent Politics.
