Shutdown Negotiations Consider Major Restrictions On ICE’s Ability To Detain Illegals

As a part of the effort to end the partial government shutdown, Senate negotiators have floated drastic restrictions on the detention of criminal illegal aliens which would dramatically limit the number of illegals ICE could detain. A source close to the negotiations tells The Daily Caller that the Senate is discussing limiting bed space operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to only those illegal immigrants detained by the U.S. Border Patrol. The source noted that ICE rarely arrests illegal aliens for simply being in the country illegally and that it would significantly reduce the number of aliens that ICE could detain and deport. Homeland Security officials fear that the policy change would endanger states and localities who wish to cooperate with ICE in the transfer of criminal illegals. Former acting ICE Director Thomas Homan told TheDC the proposals were “absolutely ridiculous” and that in effect “every jail in the country would be a sanctuary jail.” Homan continued that local communities put criminal illegal aliens in jail because they are an obvious threat to their community and that such a change in ICE’s ability to operate would endanger public safety...MORE