President Donald Trump is trying to curb illegal immigration through arrest and deportation, but some illegal immigrants who were arrested have reportedly been released back into the country.
The Department of Homeland Security, along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, have touted daily arrest figures of immigrants since Trump was sworn in as president. However, while it has publicized some illegal immigrants being deported, some are being released into the United States under a monitoring program, according to a report from NBC News.
The report says people being released are doing so under the Alternatives to Detention, an existing program that tracks immigrants through ankle monitors, wrist bans, or check-ins via phone call.
The Washington Examiner reached out to ICE for comment on the report.
The Trump administration said it has arrested more than 7,500 immigrants since Trump took office last month and has publicized several deportations of illegal immigrants to their home countries. A spokesperson for ICE told NBC News that cases in federal court could limit the agency’s ability to detain people indefinitely pending deportation.
“The agency’s federal law enforcement officers do everything they can to keep our communities safe,” the spokesperson told the outlet. “In some cases, ICE is required to release certain arrested aliens from custody.”
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The Trump administration has made public efforts to ensure countries accept their deported citizens, including a standoff with Colombia last month. The problem with Colombia accepting deportation flights was quickly resolved, with President Gustavo Petro later telling his citizens who were in the U.S. illegally to return to Colombia.
Another country where the Trump administration secured an agreement for the return of deported illegal immigrants is Venezuela. Trump sent an envoy to meet with the Venezuelan leader last week, and following the meeting, he said Venezuela agreed to take back its citizens and facilitate the transposition of its illegal immigrants out of the U.S.