Cover Up Exposed: White House Releases Criminal Aliens into General Public

By Joe Guzzardi
October 24, 2014

When the subject is immigration, neither the White House nor any of its spokespersons tell the truth. Whether the subject is border security, the affect amnesty for millions of unlawful immigrants would have on United States’ workers, or protecting citizens from dangerous criminal aliens, the public should expect deception if not outright deceit.

The most egregious example came to light earlier this week. Documents obtained by USA Today under the Freedom of Information Act revealed that despite Congress’ assurances that the 2,200 aliens released from immigration jails last year, under the guise of cost saving, were “low-risk offenders who do not have serious criminal records,” many faced charges that include homicide, sexual assault, kidnapping and drug trafficking. ICE pays an average of $122 daily to house each alien, an infinitesimal percentage of its $5 billion annual budget.

Through U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the administration repeatedly insisted to Congress and the public that the released detainees were low priority illegal immigrants, a claim it knew was false. Then-ICE director John Morton and former White House spokesman Jay Carney frequently repeated the company line. In one particularly telling exchange, during House hearings J. Randy Forbes (R-VA) pointedly asked Morton if any aliens had been convicted of “murder, rape or sexual abuse of a minor.” Morton replied: “They have not.”

The exact wording from the brazenly misleading 2013 ICE memo: “The detainees who’ve been released can be categorized as non-criminal offenders who do not have serious criminal histories that would subject them to mandatory detention. Detainees with serious criminal histories are a detention priority and have not been released.”

Immediately after the USA Today story broke, the administration shifted into spin mode. While ICE spokeswoman Gillian Christensen acknowledged the discrepancy, she ominously suggested that “special circumstances outside of the agency’s control” dictated the criminals’ release. Reading between the lines, critics interpret “special circumstances’ to mean a White House mandate that overrode ICE’s responsibilities.

The aliens were awaiting deportation or hearings in immigration court. Upon their release, they were given electric monitors and given dates to appear in court. Historically, however, few if any show up for their assigned dates. Meanwhile, the at-large criminal aliens could become repeat offenders. In another blatant display of disregard for public safety, ICE will not share any specific case details because of the criminals’ right to privacy. 

Gary Mead, who headed ICE detention operations, said that if his agency released erroneous information to Congress, it was an honest mistake. For the naïve who believe Mead, his explanation means that the administration is guilty of stunning incompetence and staggering bureaucrat ineptitude that underscores why few Americans believe anything it says about immigration.

A more likely explanation of how the White House exposed hundreds of Americans to risk at the hands of unlawful aliens is that President Obama considers himself above the law, a mindset that other agencies, especially those that deal with immigration, have inherited.

With Obama poised to legalize millions of aliens already inside the U.S, without background checks, Americans will face a growing threat created by a president who ignores his oath of office and his and sworn constitutional duty to “preserve, protect and defend” the people.

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Joe Guzzardi is a Californians for Population Stabilization Senior Writing Fellow whose columns have been nationally syndicated since 1987. Contact him at [email protected]