Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is demanding answers from Homeland Security after reports that the Biden administration is allowing other countries to release their prisoners into the United States. Below is an official statement from Moody’s office:
After alarming reports of the Biden administration allowing other countries to push prisoners into the United States interior, Attorney General Ashley Moody is seeking to uncover the administration’s scheme to release illegal aliens in U.S. prisons into the interior, rather than deporting prisoners back to their countries of origin. Attorney General Moody today sent a Freedom of Information Act request to the Department of Homeland Security seeking records regarding decisions of any Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials canceling detainers or declining to take custody or deport illegal aliens after they are released from U.S. prisons.
“The Biden administration has full knowledge that prisoners from other countries are making their way into the United States through our wide-open border,” Moody said. “Now, we are demanding to know the reasons why the Biden administration is releasing criminal illegal aliens in U.S. prisons directly into the interior rather than deporting them back to their country of origin. This reckless scheme could have disastrous and serious repercussions, and the American people deserve to know.”
The Biden administration has refused to enforce immigration laws, and ICE officials have admitted to removing far fewer criminal aliens than previous administrations. According to a recent congressional report, for fiscal year 2023, the Biden administration has removed nearly 60% fewer criminal aliens with convictions and charges than in FY2019.
In 2023 alone, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol encountered thousands of illegal aliens with prior criminal convictions, including assault, rape and murder. Along with violent criminal immigrants fleeing to the U.S., Venezuela is now refusing to accept deportations. Venezuela’s violent death rate has dropped to its lowest level in more than two decades.
There have been many alarming examples of crimes committed by illegal aliens, including the tragic murder of University of Georgia student Laken Riley. Attorney General Moody recently urged the U.S. Senate to pass the Laken Riley Act, requiring the detention of any illegal alien charged with burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.
Shortly after taking office, the Biden administration issued new policies ceasing the deportation of many serious felony criminals in the country illegally. In 2021, Attorney General Moody sued the Biden administration and asked the United States District Court Middle District of Florida to immediately halt the administration’s anti-deportation policies of those here illegally committing crimes.