After a three month delay and under threat of a possible subpoena, the Department of Homeland Security finally disclosed details about the February release 2,226 detainees from custody into communities across the country. This week, DHS disclosed that, as part of the larger release, it freed 622 detainees with criminal records, including 32 with multiple felony convictions.
In response to Requests For Information made by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), DHS disclosed among the 32 detainees, for example, ICE’s Phoenix District Office released a detainee who had a felony second degree robbery prior conviction and countless convictions for prostitution and solicitation for lewd conduct.
The Phoenix office releases also included an individual who had been convicted of an extreme case of driving under the influence (DUI) and harassment, as well as having caused criminal damage to property, as well as a detainee who had prior convictions for carrying a loaded firearm, DUI with a controlled substance, felony possession of drugs, second degree burglary, vandalism, and trespassing.
The San Francisco Field Office released someone with a prior felony conviction to manufacture fake identifications as well as a man with two DUIs and two stalking convictions, the last one as recent as 2012.
The Houston office deemed a person convicted of felony possession of marijuana of up to 2,000 pounds acceptable for release.
According to the Subcommittee, when DHS realized the seriousness of the offenses, it re-apprehended 24 of the 32 detainees with felony convictions who had been freed. DHS considered returning the remaining eight to physical custody, but took other actions instead, including using ankle bracelets to track their movements.
DHS told the Subcommittee that local ICE officials at regional field offices had the discretion to choose which detainees to release. DHS now says it will focus “it’s limited resources on the detention detainees subject to mandatory detention, recent border crossers, and Level 1,2,3, criminals as well as other priority cases that involve public safety threats.”
The Senators are now recommending that disciplinary action be considered for the ICE officials responsible for releasing detainees with multiple felony convictions into communities.