In testimony released by the House Judiciary Committee on Monday Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, confirmed that he and other border patrol agents were told to release illegal aliens caught at the border since DHS had “no intention” of deporting them.
In his written testimony Judd describes his concerns when told to release illegal aliens without issuing a Notice to Appear (NTA) in court to start deportation proceedings. Judd took his concerns to the Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
According to Judd, Deputy Secretary Mayorkas responded, “Why would we NTA those we have no intention of deporting?... We should not place someone in deportation proceedings, when the courts already have a 3-6 year backlog.”
Judd also revealed that border patrol agents were being told not to interview illegal immigrant children that are still surging across the border. “This is verbal direction from direct supervisors and not a written policy. Agents are being told not to ask why minors are crossing,” he wrote.
This catch and release policy conflicts with President Obama’s 2013 policy to deport recent arrivals.
Judiciary Committee Chairman, Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), responded to Judd’s testimony saying, “Rather than take the steps necessary to end the border surge, the Obama Administration is encouraging more to come by forcing Border Patrol agents to release unlawful immigrants into the United States with no intention of ever removing them.”
The number of unaccompanied minors apprehended at the border has doubled in the first part of fiscal year 2016 to 20,455 from 10,105 in the same time period in 2015.
Read more on this story at The Washington Times.
