Letter to Hon. Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security - Regarding the Number of Illegal Immigrants Released into the United States

Letter

Dear Secretary Mayorkas:

At a September 21, 2021 Senate hearing, you failed to answer my questions about basic information on apprehensions at the U.S. border.[1] One week later, you finally provided limited data on encounters showing at least 500,000 people dispersed in the United States this year.[2] In addition to those dispersed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), over 344,000 known got-aways--individuals who evaded apprehension--have entered the United States illegally in fiscal year 2021.[3] These numbers, which may be even higher, underscores this administration's failure to enact policies to secure the border and has created an unprecedented migration crisis.

This year through August, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has apprehended more than 1.3 million illegal aliens and is on track to set a record for the most apprehensions in a single year.[4] Recently, more than 25,000 illegal aliens amassed under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas and reports indicate another massive surge is coming.[5] Reportedly, 125,000 migrants are currently making their way through Central America, attempting to reach the United States.[6]

Media reports indicate that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is not just releasing illegal aliens into border towns after CBP processing, but rather transporting illegal aliens from the border to cities within the interior of the United States.[7] It also appears that ICE might not be properly assessing these illegal aliens before releasing them into the interior of the U.S.[8] If true, ICE's reported actions could threaten the safety and security of all Americans.[9] With these concerns in mind, I ask that you provide the following information:

How many aliens have been transported by either DHS or contractors to a final destination by plane, train, and bus throughout the country since January 1, 2021? Please provide the final destination for each mode of travel.
According to recent data, CBP has "processed" 273,396 aliens using 8 U.S. Code Title 8 from January 1, 2021 through August 31, 2021.[10] This total includes aliens that were dispersed into the United States with Notices to Appear (NTA), Notices to Report (NTR), and via parole.[11] Based on those 273,396 processed aliens, please provide a breakdown of how many were given an NTR and how many were paroled.
For the aliens released with an NTR:
i. provide the number of aliens that have reported to an ICE field office within the required 60 days;

ii. provide the number of aliens that have not reported to an ICE field office within 60 days;

iii. provide the number of aliens issued NTRs that are within the 60-day reporting window; and

iv. for aliens that have reported to an ICE field office after receipt of an NTR, provide a breakdown, by location, of which ICE field offices issued charging documents to the aliens that received NTRs.

3. For the aliens released via parole, please explain which provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act these aliens were paroled under, whether these aliens are in removal proceedings, and their final destination.

4. Please provide a breakdown of how many aliens were given an NTA, as well as, a breakdown of which Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) court location the aliens are instructed to report to.

I request that you provide updates to these figures on a monthly basis. Please provide this information as soon as possible but no later than November 2, 2021. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

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