One of many myths that the open borders crowd is trying to peddle is the notion that large numbers of poor persecuted asylum seekers are being locked up in American jails for years waiting for a court date for their asylum case. Not true!
Just a reminder, there are two categories of “refugees.” The term “refugee” is usually reserved for those largely designated by the UN around the world as in need of third country resettlement. In other words, they have left their own country looking for refuge and the UN then determines they need to be sent to a Western country (or Australia/New Zealand). The lions’ share of resettled refugees goes to the US.
Then there are the asylum seekers who get into the US on their own steam, either by overstaying a visa (tourist, foreign student etc.), or they come across a border by land, by sea, or by air and ask for asylum (usually after first being apprehended). They are still illegal aliens! If granted asylum, they become “refugees” for the purpose of getting taken care of through taxpayer funding, just like the refugees picked by the UN/US State Department. Of course, as we know, a few states—-Maine for one—-give asylum seekers financial support even before they have been granted asylum/refugee status.
And, don’t forget we just learned that 70% or more of those granted asylum may be frauds!
The immigration lawyers, like those at the ACLU, are working overtime to make you think that large numbers of these asylum seekers are rotting away in American jails, but earlier this week, in one more story about Obama relaxing security screening for refugees and asylum seekers, comes this important bit of news!
Lawmakers, though, specifically cited a newly uncovered Immigration and Customs Enforcement document that showed thousands of asylum seekers were released while awaiting a decision. The document, obtained and reviewed by FoxNews.com, showed that in fiscal 2012, just 2,508 of the more than 24,000 asylum seekers were kept in custody.
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The ICE document showed that a total of 22,000 were released that year, though a few thousand were actually deported and a small percentage had their asylum requests granted. But thousands more were released on bond, released under supervision, or released under some other status. The document also indicates that officials may have lost track of some asylum seekers. Several hundred individuals are listed in a category that includes people who escaped.
Remember this number—20,000 and increasing each year are illegal aliens seeking asylum and are free to wander America and maybe show up for a court date.