EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – Six House Republicans are urging the head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to prioritize the removal of criminals as the agency conducts nationwide raids.
Wednesday’s letter from members of the Congressional Hispanic Conference comes as tensions remain high amid the deployment of National Guard troops and Marines to California following vociferous protests marred by violence and vandalism.
“While we do agree that we are a nation of laws – and that all who crossed our borders illegally are subject to those laws – there are levels of priority that must be considered when it comes to immigration enforcement,” said the letter signed by U.S. Reps. Tony Gonzales and Monica De La Cruz, two Texas Republicans who represent districts along the Southwestern border.
They and four others are asking ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons how many of the 100,000 individuals deported from the United States since January were convicted criminals and gang members. They also are offering support to procure resources to deport known offenders and those who pose a public safety threat.
“We stand by President Trump to ensure our border security is restored. However, in order to truly claim success, we need to give absolute priority to every violent offender and convicted criminal illegal alien present in our nation. Diverting limited resources to other objectives puts our national security at risk,” the GOP members’ letter states. “Every minute that we spend pursuing an individual with a clean record is a minute less that we dedicate to apprehending terrorists or cartel operatives.”
Gonzales, who chairs the Hispanic Congressional Conference, said ICE officials told him last year as many as 600,000 foreign nationals with criminal charges were in the nation’s immigration docket.
Now he and the others want up-to-date data from ICE and are giving Lyons until June 30 to provide it.
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