Ex-ICE Chief Goes Scorched Earth: Illegals Walk to America but Can’t Make It to Court

Western Journal – by Shaun Hair

A federal judge ruled on Tuesday against President Donald Trump’s policy that made it more difficult for certain illegal immigrants to get a bond hearing.

The administration policy set in place two months ago said that those illegals could be detained until their asylum case is completed. 

However, U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman disagreed and ruled that illegals should be released from custody if they are otherwise eligible for bond.

The controversy over whether Pechman’s ruling was correct hit its peak during a hot segment on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle.”

The two guests were immigration lawyer Gunther Sanabria and Thomas Homan, former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting director.

Sanabria opened blaming Trump for the “bottleneck” conditions at the border. “Donald Trump has stopped the bond hearings, has stopped the power that the judges have to decide a case and this is what is happening,” Sanabria said. “We have overcrowded jails, an overcrowded system. The judge said enough. We can fix this problem. The law allows us to give them a bond hearing, and that is what we’re going to do. There is no reason why we are holding a mother, father and child in a detention center waiting days and sometimes months for a bond hearing. This is our system. Our legal system allows the judges to grant a bond based on certain requirements.”

But Homan wasn’t going to sit by and let such an assertion go unchallenged.

The reason why bond was previously denied is because most asylum seeking immigrants fail to show up for their bond hearings, according to Homan.

“Because they’re likely to abscond. Look at the data. The data’s clear: 90 percent of [illegal aliens] are in absentia, which means they didn’t go to court. That’s just the facts,” Homan argued.

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan previously confirmed that 90 percent figure.

Acting Homeland Security Secretary, Kevin McAleenan, reveals that 90% of asylum seekers do not show up for their scheduled hearing after entering the U.S. | @GillianHTurner pic.twitter.com/BzdmGzdQGq

— Fox & Friends First (@FoxFriendsFirst) June 12, 2019

Sanabria disputed that statement with no evidence other than asserting that all of his clients show up in court.

“They’re absolutely accurate,” Homan said, defending his statistics. “If you look at those claiming asylum at the border, almost half of them don’t even file a case in immigration court.”

And then Homan dropped the hammer.

“It’s incredible they can find a way from Central America to the United States, but they can’t find a way to an immigration court in the city they live,” Homan said. “But I guarantee they’ll find a way to a welfare office. I guarantee they’ll find a way [a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office] to get employer documents.”

And Homan may not be wrong.

Chris Conover, in a study from the Center for Health Policy and Inequalities Research at Duke University, confirmed Homan’s sentiment by showing that “illegals throughout the country cost taxpayers billions a year.”

“All told, Americans cross-subsidize health care for unauthorized immigrants to the tune of $18.5 billion a year,” Conover said.

Conservative Tribune