
(LibertySociety.com) – A recent report from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) revealed that over 13,000 noncitizens with homicide convictions are currently on the agency’s national docket. However, data expert Sean Kennedy suggests that the true number of immigrant noncitizens in the U.S. with murder convictions is likely much higher. According to Kennedy, the ICE figures only account for crimes committed in the U.S., while many violent criminals entering the country have prior convictions in their home countries—records that are often not shared with U.S. authorities.
The ICE data shows that 277 noncitizens are currently detained, while 13,099 with homicide convictions remain on ICE’s non-detained docket. Additionally, there are over 1,800 noncitizens on the docket with pending homicide charges.
Kennedy points out that many migrants entering the U.S. are not properly vetted due to insufficient data-sharing between their home countries and U.S. authorities. He highlights cases like that of Gianfranco Torres-Navarro, a Peruvian gang leader wanted for 23 murders who crossed the border illegally.
The lack of thorough vetting is compounded by the issue of “gotaways”, an estimated 2 million people who have crossed the border without encountering U.S. authorities in the last three years. These individuals are virtually untraceable, raising concerns about how many may have criminal backgrounds that are unknown to U.S. agencies.
The problem extends beyond murder convictions. ICE data indicates that noncitizens on the national docket include over 62,000 convicted of assault, 14,000 convicted of burglary, and nearly 56,000 with drug convictions. Critics argue that these figures demonstrate the dangers posed by the current immigration system.
Due to a 2001 Supreme Court ruling, if a noncitizen’s home country refuses to accept them, U.S. authorities cannot hold them indefinitely. This means that even those convicted of serious crimes like murder may remain in the U.S. after serving their sentences if their country of origin refuses to take them back.
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