Contrary to claims by the Obama administration, only a small fraction of illegal immigrants who arrived at the U.S. border during this summer’s “surge” have been deported.
Roughly 30,000 families and children who were caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border between between July 18 and Oct. 28 have not been deported.
The news comes from a review of information provided to Local 2 in Houston, Texas, by Executive Office of Immigration Review officials.
Of the 30,467 families and unaccompanied children caught between July and October, only 22 percent of their cases have been completed, the documents show.
Of the 15,614 families caught but not detained, only 4,197 have been ordered removed from the U.S.
96 percent of the orders were done when the persons failed to show up in immigration court, otherwise known as “in absentia.”
Only 21 of the 1,428 families caught and detained have been ordered removed, while only 1,671 of 13,425 unaccompanied children caught have been ordered removed.
Many of the removal orders came “in absentia” — and well above the annual 11 to 15 percent rate reported by EOIR.
The numbers may even go higher, as total numbers are not yet available.
Earlier this month, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told the House Homeland Security Committee that border security is “a work in progress.”
