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Report: DHS aiming to raise number of migrants released into the U.S.

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Amid a crisis that has seen hundreds of thousands of migrants cross the southern border over the past few months, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is aiming to raise the number of migrants allowed to be released into the United States through an alternative to the detention program, Fox News reported exclusively on Friday.

According to Fox News, internal DHS communications that it reportedly analyzed reveal that the department is hashing out plans to streamline the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program. This, according to the outlet, is because raising the number of migrants enrolled in the program is becoming a priority for the DHS.

MORE ON THE BORDER: Whistleblower DHS official speaks out about the border crisis

The ATD program, which began in 2004, involves varying degrees of supervision for undocumented immigrants who are going through immigration proceedings. According to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) website, ATD can include methods ranging from GPS monitoring to office and home visits, depending on the immigrant and their background, criminal history, plus other factors.

“The Biden administration has made it clear that the border is not open,” a DHS spokesperson reportedly told Fox News. “Our policy is to expel single adults and families. In situations where individuals cannot be expelled, they are placed into removal proceedings and a custody determination is made, which could result in an Alternative to Detention program.”

According to the news outlet, the communications it reportedly analyzed suggest that the DHS will be participating in discussions with ICE to formulate plans for what will be required. Although, Fox News noted that migrants have recently been released without Notices to Appear in court, just notices to appear at their local ICE offices.

Amid the surge of migrants, which broke records last month, the Biden administration has been struggling to process and hold the migrants in custody. This has led to overcrowded conditions at migrant detention facilities, worsened by the coronavirus pandemic, and overall poor accommodations for detainees—especially unaccompanied children. There have even been reports of sexual abuse toward child detainees.

RELATED: March migrant detentions at southern border hit 15-year record

You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @DouglasPBraff.

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Immigration

Morale Surges Among Border Authorities Following Trump’s Election, Tom Homan’s Appointment as ‘Border Czar’

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The election of President-elect Donald Trump has sparked a notable rise in morale among U.S. border authorities, who view Trump’s commitment to border security as a turning point after years of relaxed immigration policies. Following four years that saw record numbers of migrants entering the United States, Trump’s election on promises of border security and mass deportations has revived a sense of optimism within the ranks of Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

On Monday, Trump tapped Tom Homan, the former acting director of ICE and a respected figure among border authorities, as his administration’s “border czar.” Homan, who has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s immigration policies, expressed his determination to address the border crisis. Appearing on Fox & Friends, Homan said, “I’ve been on this network for years complaining about what this administration did to this border… So when the president asked me, ‘Would you come back and fix it?’ Of course, I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t.”

Under President Biden, illegal border crossings surged to nearly 3 million in fiscal 2024, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Since fiscal 2021, there have been over 10.8 million encounters involving illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Homan has publicly backed Trump’s plan for mass deportations, emphasizing that public safety and national security threats would be prioritized. When asked in a recent 60 Minutes interview if these deportations would lead to family separations, Homan responded that “families can be deported together.”

For many border officials, Homan’s appointment and Trump’s election represent a long-awaited return to policies they believe are essential to restoring border security. National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez noted, “The morale is through the roof… We’ve received hundreds of calls, texts, emails just saying how happy the agents are.”

“Troops are finally feeling like the sun is coming out after a very long storm,” said one ICE officer in Massachusetts, while an ICE officer in New York described morale as “super high, especially with the Homan news.” An Arizona Border Patrol agent added, “Ecstatic to go to work! Morale is even higher than the first time he won.”

The morale boost has even impacted retirement plans for some border agents. “There are a lot of agents that had originally said that they would retire if President Trump did not win,” Perez said. “Now those same agents are saying they’re going to hold back on their retirement because they want to serve under this administration again.”

A California border agent shared that “nothing will change until Tom Homan takes the leash off us,” while a Texas border agent commented on the renewed enthusiasm: “People who were going to retire are not, and everyone is happy.” Another senior ICE official expressed satisfaction, saying, “People know now they will get to do the work they signed up to do… They know they can get the bad guys now. Public safety threats, national security threats, gang members—here we come.”

Officials also expressed relief at the prospect of no longer being required to use politically correct language, such as referring to illegal immigrants as “noncitizens.”

 

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