Catch and Release: What You Need to Know

Photo Courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Taken by Yesica Uvina
Acting Deputy Commissioner Ronald D. Vitiello visits the Border Wall Construction Site near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry as eight different prototypes of the Border Wall were unveiled at the U.S. border with Mexico. October 26 2017.
Photos Courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Taken by Yesica Uvina

WHAT: Our immigration system continues to encourage and allow an influx of aliens to illegally cross our borders and resettle in American communities.

Porous borders, legal loopholes, and insufficient immigration enforcement resources allow aliens to illegally cross our borders and often prevent their removal once here. Waves of Unaccompanied Alien Children (UACs) and Family Units have been exploiting these weaknesses in our immigration system for years in order to enter and remain in the country.

Since fiscal year (FY) 2016, more than 107,000 UACs have been released into the interior of the United States. 2,895 UACs were released into the U.S. in February 2018 alone, bringing the total for FY 2018 thus far to 13,186. Once released, most UACs remain here by failing to either show up for court hearings or comply with removal orders. As a result, only 3.5 percent of UACs who are apprehended are eventually removed from the U.S. The surge of UACs entering and remaining in the U.S. is in addition to the more than 167,000 Family Units which were apprehended between FY 2016 and February 2018. Nearly all apprehended family units are also released into the U.S. due to judicially-imposed constraints on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s authority to detain them.

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This flow of illegal aliens into American communities stands to only grow as a caravan of hundreds of Central Americans currently traveling through Mexico heads toward the U.S. border.

WHY: Catch and release loopholes encourage more and more illegal immigration into the U.S.

Catch and release loopholes, which are the result of statutory and judicial obstacles, encourage illegal immigration into the U.S. and prevent the removal of aliens once they are here. Currently, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can only detain UACs for a few days before releasing them to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for resettlement into the United States. Immigration enforcement efforts are further hamstrung by the fact that current federal law exempts UACs from non-contiguous countries, such as El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, from being promptly returned to their home countries. This results in nationals from these and other countries entering and never leaving.

Foreign nationals see how easy it is to enter the United States, and how hard it is for federal immigration authorities to remove aliens who enter illegally, and are accordingly drawn to the United States. In the absence of lasting solutions to the problems that riddle our immigration system, we can only expect the flow of illegal immigration into our country to continue.

Shared from Whitehouse.gov

RELATED: VIDEO: President Trump Demands Action On Sanctuary Cities

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Junius Stearns
Junius Stearns
5 years ago

The Judicial Branch has overreached its legal constraints as granted by the Constitution itself to the extent that it will destroy this republic if allowed to continue running things unabated. The GOP is splintered in Congress between conservative Republicans & RINOs such as Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, & Lindsey Graham, thus grievously hindering the President’s potential power to do good & accomplish what he promised in the last election. Europe is coming apart at the seams. The last time things appeared this bad, a “savior” came out of nowhere in the form of Adolf Hitler. We have gotten ourselves in quite a predicament with this social engineering BS emanating from the half-baked theories of George Soros’ favorite philosopher, Karl Popper. Money is no longer backed by gold, & global wealth could evaporate in an instant. We have lost our collective minds, but few either know or care!

Thomas Odell
Thomas Odell
5 years ago

Why are Liberal judges allowed to violate the U.S. Constitution? I have no respect for those judges as a result of this. And, it encourages people to commit other crimes, when the judges themselves commit these crimes.

Virginia Ruby
Virginia Ruby
5 years ago

It’s time to STOP playing games with these people and Our Do-nothing Congress.
Obama is no longer in charge and Soros money can be froze and Obama’s when used to destroy Our America.
It doesn’t take a Law but a new Policy on Our Immigratiin and Border Protection.

grandma
grandma
5 years ago

“Catch and release loopholes, which are the result of statutory and judicial obstacles, encourage illegal immigration into the U.S. and prevent the removal of aliens once they are here.”
———————————————————————————————————————————
Sorry…but it is a complete and DISGUSTINGLY, PUKEABLE distraction to USE these lame and BIZARRE loopholes as excuses for not doing your SWORN job and providing the safety and security that is the cornerstone of this country. The Nuremberg Trials come to mind. So very many Nazis who flipped the switch and gassed the captives…said, “Well golly, gee…I just did my job.”

And yet, what happened to those half-wits…who just did what they were told? But they knew it was wrong…

Gene Ralno
Gene Ralno
5 years ago

The democrat strategy is clear. Simply encourage tens of thousands of aliens, all kinds of aliens, and make sure they’re included on the census. Each one counts as a “person” according to the 14th Amendment and thus also counts toward the number of U.S. Representatives a state may have. Each one also counts toward the number of electors are admitted to the electoral college. Democrats only need to keep the cities already overrun by entitlement collectors well oiled with entitlements. For fifty years, these “persons” have been transitioning from non-voters to voters and of course they continue to collect what’s theirs.

William
William
5 years ago
Reply to  Gene Ralno

In Californoa it’s time to begin the ‘dumbocrap’ purge with the June mid term election and continue with the November general election and on to further elections until all of the lying thieving liberals who’s mantra ‘all for me and F*** eveyonoe else as long as long as I live my luxury lifestyle and don’t have to do a dameed thing and get my big paycheck’. are histiry. People need to get smart, do their due diligence get out and vote and get rid of these no goosd anti American liberals.who’ve done absolutely NADA, ZERO, ZIPPO, SQUAT, NOTHING, and basiclly BUPKUS to improve live in California but continue to foist high taxes to pay for all the ‘give aways’ , ”freebies’ and basically give aways and all this BULLS**T! Begin with jerry ‘the clown’ brown, continue with dianne feinsten, ‘nnsty’ nancy pigliosi, and mr. . ‘sanctuary city’ of San Francisco’ and brown’s flunkee and governor wannabee gavin newsome until all of theses no good liberals arer gone forever!

AC Falk
AC Falk
5 years ago
Reply to  Gene Ralno

Amen. Their strategy is clear.

David in MA
David in MA
5 years ago
Reply to  Gene Ralno

The 14th Amendment is being misused.

Robert A Romeo
Robert A Romeo
5 years ago

The cost for these perspective immigrants travel has to come from someone. I suspect Soros and Obama’s OFA organization. This must be stopped and now. Our government must FREEZE these funds.

Rita Caveslio
Rita Caveslio
5 years ago

its a deplorable system that has been in play for far too long – if we were to go to a foreign company we would not be treated like we lived there, whats wrong with this picture?

Dale cuthbertson
Dale cuthbertson
5 years ago

It’s very simple deny them welfare all benefits stop the freebies they’ll stop coming

newtdog
newtdog
5 years ago

Better still, since we have no Wall, set up machine gun nests about ever 300 yds or so with ORDERS to down anyone and everyone coming across the border. Word would travel fast and the ILLEGAL problem would disappear……….

grandma
grandma
5 years ago
Reply to  newtdog

I like the machine gun idea! After a few of those BUZZARDS become toast, their comrades will learn their lesson. And if they don’t, its more feasting for the unclean birds,,,

David Black
David Black
5 years ago
Reply to  newtdog

Amen!!

Janice
Janice
5 years ago
Reply to  newtdog

I agree, 1st we should put mines in the areas before the borders. We put up signs that say mine fields.
If they come across that is there problem.
Next automatic weapons with real ammo
If this invasion gets in easily. We will have e invaded constantly. We must stop these illegals. Or our country will be lost, also, illegals get NO benefits. Entitlements are for citizens. We, Citizens can not afford to provide for all these invaders.

Donl Longo
Donl Longo
5 years ago

Use E-VERIFY for jobs, Any one caught hiring with NO E-VERIFY , HEAVY FINES.

Ronald Dolgin
Ronald Dolgin
5 years ago

This gatecrashing and subversion is not the respected rule of law as we know it, but an insult to our forefathers who gave their all to establish this as a free republic. Any self respecting citizen ought to also respect our nations soveregn right and duty to establish citizenship rules and regulations of who comes and how they earn the privilege to be a member. Lincoln’s speech on the Preservation of our Institutions of Government laid out the dangers of “mobocracy” and applies to us today. Love of our hard fought history, institutions and lawful self government needs to prevail over those who undermine and subvert us. Reform and restore fair and well managed immigration and defend it.

Ginger
Ginger
5 years ago

Under the Obama system of Catch and Release, the legal USA citizen gets punished, and illegal aliens get rewarded for breaking the law. Must be nice. If this doesn’t change, I think more citizens need to claim illegal status. Let’s see if we can get the same benefits as the illegals.

Ralph Ormsbee
Ralph Ormsbee
5 years ago

This is happening because it is what the Democrats want. they want to turn your country to a social country so they will become kings and queens and can not be removed from power or be subject to the laws of the land

Marc Jeric
Marc Jeric
5 years ago

Section 212 (a) (4) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, first passed in the 1950s and still the law today, states:
“Any alien who, in the opinion of the consular officer at the time of application for a visa, or in the opinion of the Attorney General at the time of application for admission or adjustment of status, is likely at any time to become a public charge is inadmissible.”
However, our government today gives formal instructions to illegal aliens how to apply and obtain welfare benefits – namely food stamps (debit cards now to avoid shame at the exit counter), free medical assistance, housing vouchers, unemployment benefits, free school lunches and books for their children,…And the gigantic third amnesty for some 15 million illegal aliens is being cooked up in Washington right now; after that there will be a fourth amnesty for 25 million new illegal aliens some 10 years from now. Well – perhaps not, what with the gigantic boot hit given by the American people to the ass of our Communists, socialists, Democrats, and other such slime and bottom feeders of this once free and proud country.

Marc Jeric
Marc Jeric
5 years ago

(Written 3 years ago). On a regular basis, over a 6-year period, the Obama administration has been releasing many thousands of convicted criminal illegal aliens from jails into the general population. The Republican leadership in Congress has done nothing to stop the destabilizing release of a total of 165,900 convicted criminal illegal aliens into the general population – and probably by an executive B. Hussein Obama’s order these criminals were also equipped with photo ID’s for voting, Social Security cards, and welfare application instructions (in Spanish, of course). In the same period Obama was also releasing 706,950 detained illegal aliens who had violated Federal Immigration Laws into the general population. This number of course does not include undetected illegal aliens – probably more than 12 million now in the country. And what about those 60,000 unaccompanied children from South America? Are these still streaming across our borders? Or are they now being transported by American planes instead of hired busses? Projection is that 127,000 Unaccompanied Minors are arriving this year!
Compare the above with the experience of this former refugee from a communist hell; I was given a special political refugee passport and a permit to work in France. Then I was interviewed by the Immigration and FBI agents in the US Embassy in Paris three times; finally after 4-1/2 years of waiting I was awarded a special conditional immigrant visa for political refugees to the US. Every 6 months I had to present proof to the Immigration Office of employment and economic independence (no welfare!). Finally after 5-1/2 years I became a US citizen. We sure live now under different “more politically advanced” circumstances! By the way – that special immigration program law was introduced by Eisenhower and signed by Kennedy in 1961.

MaraJo
MaraJo
5 years ago

This may sound hard and callous but does anyone remember the WWII? They took the Japanese and put them in separate quarters than the rest of the country, but it was just as much for their safety as anything. If they used the many places they have for locking up the conservatives someday, and used it for the illegals until they get the message they will not be free here and many will not want to come here anymore. No more catch and release, it doesn’t work. Catch and lock them up!

MaraJo
MaraJo
5 years ago
Reply to  MaraJo

Why are you holding my post and no one elses? Have I said something wrong?

JIM KNIGHT
JIM KNIGHT
5 years ago

MAKE THE UACS RELATIVES COME AND PICK THEM UP AND SIGN PAPERS FOR COURT APPEARANCES AND IF THEY FAIL TO SHOW ARREST THE RELATIVES. NO FREE RIDES . PASS LAW ALL ILLEGALS WILL NEVER BE ALLOWED TO VOTE UNTIL THEY RETURN TO THEIR HOME COUNTRY AND COME HERE LEGALLY. THAT WILL STOP THE DEMOCRATS PUSH OR AMENSTY

William Harden
William Harden
5 years ago

The Democrats like illegals, dead people, deviant types of every kind as that is where they get their votes. They have no desire to improve the country or provide for the public welfare.
The Chinese are doing everything possible to strengthen their country, by acquiring gold, devaluing their money to dominate trade and development of the military.
When they take over the reserve currency status, like they have already begun to do, it will be all over for America. We will be a second class country.

zee
zee
5 years ago

From what i understand, an EO by ‘o’. If so= a RESCIND is Apropo ASAP.

TheKing
TheKing
5 years ago

I know of no other country that has such an open border as does the USA. The allowing of illegals into the USA must stop before we find ourselves in a financial crunch. Congress MUST re3move all entitlements from illegals. Take away the incentive for them to come here, and they will not attempt to cross our borde4r if they know in advance they will receive zero penefits and will be returned to their country of origin. Do not LET ANY ILLEGALS INTO THE USA, ENUF IS ENUF

Janice
Janice
5 years ago
Reply to  TheKing

Agree

Victoria Olson
Victoria Olson
5 years ago

I love how your blaming immigrants as terrorists. Yet it’s white neo Nazi’s who are the the terrorists “ so trump and his ICE terrorist plan is to round up immigrants & Black & Brown people like Nazi’s did to Jews & gas them. I’m an old school republican not a uncaring immoral tea party white Nazi all of you & trump are despicable excuses of humans. I remember when the party attracted the smartest & educated people and started programs like Social Security, Medicare & the VA, now you want to Destroy & divide & Hate. You evil people will all burn in hell. I’’m Praying for our country to be strong and stop this evil administration

Richard Tremaine
Richard Tremaine
5 years ago
Reply to  Victoria Olson

Your not an old school Republican. Your an idiot. We don’t allow the in the Republican Party these days. You would like to give all these itinerant illegals Social Security without working for it. Medicare for their parents, housing vouchers and hospitalization for the children. For your information stupid, we cannot afford to do that. If you want to pray, pray that they be turned away at the boarder.

Ed Rosenblum
Ed Rosenblum
5 years ago
Reply to  Victoria Olson

You were never even close to being any kind of Republican. Can you name any of “the smartest & educated” you claim once peopled your Republican Party? One learns through sad experience never to expect the truth from a leftist.

You talk about the “tea party white Nazi,” but if you watched anything besides CNN, you would be aware that all the violence, all the vehement hatred, all the racism, all the despotic fascism is on the left. As for dividing the nation, no one did it more effectively than Barack Obama, who so deepened and widened that divide so as to make it permanently unbridgeable.

Further, I’m not worried about burning in hell because the pope just declared there is no hell.

John
John
5 years ago
Reply to  Victoria Olson

Victoria nutjob Olson

Why is it you have a problem with getting rid of criminal illegals? do you realize (probably not) that 11 Americans are murdered everyday by illegals. Illegals cost us (tax payers) 130 BILLION per year. Yet nutjobs like yourself claim the wall is too expensive. Whats despicable is the democratic party is attempting a slow coup d’ etat of this country for it’s own selfish reasons. Immoral tea party? What did they ever do..Please dont tell me they riot and scream and curse and smash things. you and I both know only the nutjob liberals do that..After all its on the news almost every night. How about all those nasty women last year….How charming! few were probably republicans..But most all were liberal democrats. Nasty, bitter, angry sad human beings who live their lives filled with angst. Dont believe me? Go back and closely read what you just wrote.

MM
MM
5 years ago
Reply to  John

YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. AMERICAN FIRST! THIS GUY, RICHARD LOOK A TRAITOR TO AMERICAN COUNTRY!

grandma
grandma
5 years ago
Reply to  John

I think that,”V” has made the rounds and posted equally ridiculous and bizarre words elsewhere. Probably one of the GOOFBALLS that doesn’t have a job, sucks off the teats of welfare/or george sorry funds, and is an all-around bum living in a basement and playing with the computer all day…

tnwalker
tnwalker
5 years ago
Reply to  Victoria Olson

you can move

Lewis C. Hubble
Lewis C. Hubble
5 years ago
Reply to  Victoria Olson

You are talking about the Obama 8 years?

David in MA
David in MA
5 years ago
Reply to  Victoria Olson

stupid is as stupid does.

zee
zee
5 years ago
Reply to  Victoria Olson

Victoria Olson IS definetely a ‘Troll’. & could Also be an AI (Artificial Intellegence) ‘troll’, bots that send out 1000’s of comments.

Bert Prol
Bert Prol
5 years ago

Mr. President: Maybe it would be good for you to establish an Office in Mexico at the Southern border of Mexico so applications can be distributed to the “Immigrants” who want citizenship in the US can stat the legal path to citizenship. They would be granted a number along with the paperwork so the process for citizenship could be started. This is a problem only because most of us are pointing the blame finger everywhere and at everyone. Instead of polarizing the population lets try to come up with viable solutions to solve this problem instead of kicking the can or let the next guy solve it. In a way this is the price of being not only the light of the world but being the greatest nation on the planet.God Bless President Trump, and God Bless America, Whose help and guidance has made us great.

Ed Rosenblum
Ed Rosenblum
5 years ago

They are not “loopholes,” which are UNINTENDED means of avoiding obligations. These were deliberate inadequacies in the laws INTENDED to facilitate avoidance of the laws.

Pam
Pam
5 years ago

Pile them all in the back of a huge pickup truck,drive them to the furthest south Mexican Border and dump them!

Milt Nielson
Milt Nielson
5 years ago

What I Love to here Obama is not president anymore Here did not let Law stand in his way stop, illegal immigrant at border with US military over look loop hole turn illegal immigrant around sent back to were came from. Milt Nielson

John
John
5 years ago

Turn them all away at gunpoint……..They don’t touch our soil they cant come in and milk the system.

Frank Valenti
Frank Valenti
5 years ago

Stop all entitlements to non- citizens: if you didn’t pay into it you aren’t entitled to it! that should be one of the first things done; then deport all illegal immigrants! Change the immigration laws and eliminate all visa laws until every American is back to work

Janice
Janice
5 years ago
Reply to  Frank Valenti

Agree

John Furlong
John Furlong
5 years ago

Stop the bulls***, close the loopholes, kill DACA forever and keep the promise, deport ALL illegals from America and use the military to defend our boarders!

Janice
Janice
5 years ago
Reply to  John Furlong

Agree. DACA has cost citizens a fortune. Free housing, medical,food, medical, college, electric assistance, schhols provide day care for their babies. We pay for everything. To thank us, they bring in more family members for us to provide for.

Percy Mervyn
Percy Mervyn
5 years ago

The loop holes are there because dirty politicians want to please the billionaires club and chamber of commerce with a steady stream of cheap labor to drive down costs while adding customers to inflate their prices. Not one of them care about suffering American families who loose their jobs or are victims of crimes. The cheapest and easiest crime to prevent are those committed by illegals, a strong mandatory E-Verify system placed at all work sites, schools, colleges and government service offices would remove all reasons to come or stay here.

feedupvoter
feedupvoter
5 years ago

How and when did these rules get changed? Who was asleep at the wheel>

David in MA
David in MA
5 years ago

Let them in and relocate them in the neighborhoods of lawmakers, a win/win and everyone is happy, happy.

Alan
Alan
5 years ago

How do we get Brownie and his henchmen out of office? California is now the first slum state in the nation and it will drag the country down with it. This is what we get with Brownie’s sanctuary politics. The illegals love him because he supports them on the tax dollar of the entire nation. Brownie is not an American, but a real sedition politician.

grandma
grandma
5 years ago

Moonbeam and company should be arrested, tried, convicted then imprisoned for all of their subversive activities.

Edward Smail
Edward Smail
5 years ago

I was at the social security in my town 10 years ago, and watched with my own eyes at lest 30 illegals getting SS cards. Our own Gov has been breaking there own laws, they make us obey. They play us crazy and treat them like there supposed to treat us. They need to lose power again and we need to tell them why there losing it.

mike young
mike young
5 years ago

I can’t give a comment, everyone has posted all my thoughts already. and I thank you for it.

mike young
mike young
5 years ago

O. K here is how to spot a liberal in a second. the first thing out of there mouth is, those old white men are ruining this country. I hear this a dozen times a day. if I hear it one more time I will choke the ignorant bastard that said it.

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