The House Judiciary Committee has demanded testimony from Claire Trickler-McNulty, a senior Biden administration official working for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), regarding a drop in deportations of migrants convicted of criminal offenses. The committee is investigating whether the federal government is properly enforcing immigration law amidst record levels of illegal immigration under President Biden. Republican leaders in the committee noted that ICE removed 41% fewer criminal migrants in 2023 than in 2020 and about 60% fewer than in 2019.
Since Biden took office in 2021, there have been 7,298,486 southwest land border encounters, according to data from Customs and Border Protection. The House Judiciary Committee found that ICE is aware of over 600,000 criminal aliens currently not subject to detainment orders, raising concerns about public safety and the potential for re-offense. The committee members are questioning Trickler-McNulty’s support for “alternatives to detention” for migrants rather than detention and deportation, especially as the number of deportations and detentions has decreased while illegal border crossings have increased.
Trickler-McNulty has been criticized for promoting “alternatives to detention” for migrants that may involve GPS tracking or reporting whereabouts on a smartphone app, which ICE had previously found to have little value. The congressmen cited a specific case of a Venezuelan national and alleged gang member who was allowed into the country with an ankle monitor but then promptly escaped from authorities. The committee is questioning why Trickler-McNulty advocates for using detention resources “only when absolutely necessary” in the face of unprecedented levels of illegal immigration and criminal activity.
The letter to Trickler-McNulty concludes with a request for a transcribed interview with the committee to investigate the Executive Branch’s enforcement of federal immigration law. Trickler-McNulty previously worked for Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), a nonprofit organization opposed to the deportation of unaccompanied minors who enter the country illegally. She has also been connected to suspicious contracts awarded by ICE to her former colleague, Andrew Lorenzen-Strait, who left the Biden transition team to work for a nonprofit group that received millions in ICE contracts for migrant services.
ICE has not responded to requests for comment on the matter. The ongoing investigation by the House Judiciary Committee highlights concerns about the enforcement of immigration law and the handling of criminal migrants amidst a surge in illegal border crossings. The debate over detention versus alternative methods for addressing illegal immigration and criminal activity continues to be a point of contention within the Biden administration and among lawmakers. The testimony from Trickler-McNulty and further investigation into ICE’s practices will shed light on the current state of immigration policy enforcement in the United States.
