I am no fan of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). But credit where credit is due.
Her outburst at the State of the Union address last night not only forced President Joe Biden to say the name of the young nursing student who was allegedly murdered by an immigrant released into the United States by Biden, but the exchange also showed Biden has no clue what his current immigration policies actually are or how the legislation he is proposing would address the problem.
“Lincoln Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal, that’s right,” Biden said Thursday night, apparently unaware that the young woman’s name is “Laken,” not “Lincoln.”
“But how many thousands of people are being killed by legals?” Biden then asked rhetorically.
That’s one heck of an argument to make. Sure, thousands of immigrants Biden let into the country are commiting theft, rape, battery, and murder, but think of all the other crime that’s already happening!
Biden then continued, “Look, if we change the dynamic at the border — people pay these smugglers 8,000 bucks to get across the border because they know if they get by and let into the country, it’s six to eight years before they have a hearing, and it’s worth the taking a chance for the $8,000, but if it’s only six weeks, the idea is it’s highly unlikely that people will pay that money and come all that way knowing that they’ll be able to be kicked out quickly.”
A couple thoughts:
First, the immigrant accused of Riley’s murder, Jose Ibarra, did not “get by” the border. He turned himself over to the Border Patrol because, like all immigrants worldwide, he knew Biden would release him into the country, which is exactly what happened.
Second, yes, the Biden-Lankford bill does create a brand new processing pathway for immigrants such as Ibarra who claim asylum at the border, and yes, that pathway does promise a decision on an immigrant’s asylum status within 90 days.
But here is the thing: Once an immigrant is placed in the new 90-day pathway, the immigrant is mandated to be released from custody. It’s right there on page 116 of the legislation: “Aliens referred for proceedings under this section shall be released from physical custody.”
Instead of actually detaining immigrants who claim asylum, the Biden-Lankford bill mandates their release into Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Alternatives to Detention program. What this basically means is immigrants get fitted with an ankle bracelet that is notoriously easy to take off.
And what happens if an illegal immigrant takes off his or her ankle bracelet? Absolutely nothing. Just ask Jose’s brother Diego Ibarra.
Diego Ibarra was arrested by Border Patrol for illegal entry on April 30, 2023. He was held by Border Patrol until May 11, 2023, when he was released by Biden on parole and enrolled into the ATD program. Just two weeks later, on May 25, ICE removed Diego Ibarra from the ATD program and listed him as an absconder because of “GPS abnormalities.” In other words, he took the bracelet off. Police eventually found the bracelet in Colorado.
After he had violated his parole and been removed from the ATD program, did ICE track him down, arrest him, and deport him?
LOL, of course not. It is Biden’s stated policy not to deport anyone whose only crime is being in the country illegally.
So, after removing his bracelet, Diego Ibarra moved to Athens, Georgia, acquired a fraudulent green card, and went to work for the University of Georgia. While there, he was arrested on charges of multiple DUIs and shoplifting. ICE never made any effort to find and remove him.
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Biden is either lying when he says the Biden-Lankford bill would ensure the removal of all illegal immigrants released into the country, or he has no clue how his current immigration enforcement policies operate.
Neither is a good look.