In response to this data, Representative Gonzales described the numbers as “astronomical,” while House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Representative Mark Green (R-TN) called the figures “shocking.”
Other experts have pointed out that the ICE data spans decades and is not solely reflective of recent policies.
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, noted that many individuals on the non-detained docket have lived in the U.S. for decades.
These numbers have not been adjusted for a number of people that may have been arrested for crimes committed here.
Alex Nowrasteh of the Cato Institute also emphasized that some of the criminal convictions listed in the report include cases going back many years.
Despite these perspectives, the scale of the problem remains alarming.
A statement from Mark Green said, “It may be shocking to hear that the Biden-Harris administration is actively releasing tens of thousands of criminal illegal aliens into our communities, but their own numbers conclusively prove this to be the case. This defies all common sense.”
