A leading Republican senator on border issues has implored the Trump administration’s top homeland security officials to investigate the status of nearly a million illegal immigrants who were waived into the United States with minimal vetting and are largely untraceable.
Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) has asked White House border czar Tom Homan and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to determine the status of 810,000 immigrants who were admitted into the country under former President Joe Biden. The majority of them were not initially given a court date or legal process to follow, leaving them untraceable. This figure is in addition to the several million illegal immigrants House Republicans found were released into the country with a court date under Biden.
“While 531,425 aliens who were processed under this program reported to ICE within 60 days, only 354,896 aliens have been served a Notice to Appear in immigration court and began the removal process,” Lankford wrote in his letter Tuesday, first obtained by the Washington Examiner.
Approximately 445,000 immigrants of the 810,000 have never been given a document ordering them to appear in immigration court, thus giving them no repercussions for entering the country illegally and no way for the government to locate them.
“Many of the aliens released under these pathways have received minimal vetting and have not complied with the terms of their release. Accordingly, I ask that you prioritize the vetting of and removal of inadmissible aliens who were released under this program.”
“What is your plan for addressing this population in the Administration’s enforcement efforts?” Lankford added.