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WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congressman Troy E. Nehls (R-TX) introduced the Accountability Through Deportation (ATD) Act on May 23, 2024. This legislation aims to impose consequences on illegal aliens who fail to comply with a release order by mandating that immigration judges order their removal.
Under current law, if an illegal alien does not adhere to the terms of release from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) custody and flees, DHS must allocate resources to locate the individual and then wait for an immigration judge's removal order before deportation can occur.
Recently introduced legislation requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue public notices and notify local law enforcement when an alien absconds from the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program. Rep. Nehls’ ATD Act builds on this by ensuring that if an immigration officer submits an affidavit stating that an alien failed to comply with a condition of release under Section 236(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and absconds, such alien shall be ordered removed in absentia.
“President Trump’s border policy was only to release aliens at the Southwest Border under ‘very exigent circumstances,’” said Congressman Nehls. “Under the failed leadership of Joe Biden, more than 7.8 million illegal aliens have entered the U.S. through our porous southern border, and subsequently, many of them have been released from custody, often without proper monitoring, and disappear into American communities. Until President Trump is back in the White House, we must ensure that the illegal aliens who fail to comply with their release are removed at all costs. Illegal aliens are on notice—if you fail to comply, we will find you, and you will be deported.”
The legislation has garnered support from the National Immigration Center for Enforcement (NICE).
“Since day one, President Biden has failed to use the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program efficiently or correctly," said RJ Hauman, president of NICE. "Instead acting upon the wishes of 'Abolish ICE' groups who not only oppose custodial detention but call any monitoring of illegal immigrants a 'digital prison.' This explains why the use of GPS monitoring has decreased significantly even as the non-detained docket approaches 7 million. Biden’s goal is to scrap monitoring entirely and turn ATD into social services paid by American taxpayers to assist illegal immigrants as they arrive. By creating serious consequences for violations of ATD, Congressman Nehls is building upon a critical effort to require GPS monitoring of all illegal aliens on the non-detained docket so we can carry out large-scale deportations like those planned by President Trump.”
Read the legislation HERE.