August 20, 2022 4:46pm EDT
White House pushed ICE to increase deportations amid migrant crisis: report
ICE only deported 59,000 people in FY 21, a dramatic decrease from prior years
By Adam Shaw | Fox News
The White House reportedly pushed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to deport more illegal immigrants amid increased political pressure over the border crisis — but so far the Department of Homeland Security hasn’t taken a more aggressive approach.
The Biden administration has been staring down an enormous crisis at the southern border, with approximately 200,000 migrant encounters each month for the past five months. There have been more than two million migrant encounters this fiscal year alone.
The administration has come under fire from Republicans for its rolling back of Trump-era border policies, including a narrowed scope for ICE arrests and deportations.
In FY 21, ICE arrested 74,082 noncitizens and deported 59,011 — down from 103,603 arrests and 185,884 removals in FY 20 and 143,099 arrests and 267,258 deportations in FY 19.
The L.A. Times reported Friday that, with the increasing political pressure to be tougher on immigration, White House officials this year pushed ICE to deport more illegal immigrants under a "detained docket" that focuses on those who have recently crossed as part of a family unit.
The Times reported that about 60,000 have entered the docket since it was launched in May 2021, but just 150 have been deported through July. In March, Department of Homeland Security officials reportedly outlined options to deport more illegal immigrants under the program — including detaining them in hotels, 48-hour deportations and fining those who did not leave.
But an internal DHS document obtained by the outlet noted poor optics of deporting families, and never increased its deportations — although sources told the Times the pressure remains from the White House.
"Picking up a kicking and screaming child while mom and/or dad are restrained and ushered to the transport vehicle will not improve public perception of ICE or views around immigration enforcement," the document said.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/white-house-pushed-ice-increase-deportations-migrant-crisis-report 
