IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT AGENTS HAVE MANY RESPONSIBILTIES. ONE OF THOSE IS KEEPING TRACK OF MIGRANTS IN THE ALTERNATIVES TO DETENTION PROGRAM. BUT AS IT TURNS OUT, ICE DOESN’T HAVE ANY RECORDS FOR ANYONE ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.
STARTED IN 2004, THE ATD PROGRAM USES ELECTRONIC TRACKING DEVICES TO MONITOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. RATHER THAN WAITING IN JAIL CELLS OR DETENTION CENTERS FOR THEIR DAY IN COURT, MIGRANTS IN THE ATD PROGRAM ARE RELEASED INTO THE U.S.
AN AGENCY AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, THE TRANSACTIONAL RECORDS ACCESS CLEARINGHOUSE OR TRAC, HAS BEEN ACTING AS A WATCHDOG OF SORTS FOR ICE. TRAC REQUESTED THE RECORDS FOR THE MORE THAN 377 THOUSAND INDIVIDUALS ENROLLED IN ATD SINCE FISCAL YEAR 2019 THROUGH AUGUST OF THIS YEAR.
HOWEVER, THE RESPONSE FROM ICE WASN’T WHAT TRAC WAS EXPECTING.
ACCORDING TO A LETTER DATED DECEMBER 22ND, ICE COULDN’T FIND THE RECORDS. THE FEDERAL AGENCY HAD PREVIOUSLY SHARED SOME OF THE RECORDS IN QUESTION WITH TRAC, MAKING THE REVELATION THAT THE RECORDS WERE NOW MISSING ALL THE MORE SHOCKING.
ACCORDING TO ONE OF THE PROFESSORS WITH TRAC, ICE HAS BEEN MISLEADING THE PUBLIC FOR MONTHS BY RELEASING INACCURATE ATD DATA. THE PROFESSOR SAYS THE AMERICAN PUBLIC DESERVES TO HAVE ACCURATE DATA ABOUT THE PEOPLE ENROLLED IN THE ATD PROGRAM, AND IT’S TIME FOR ICE TO COME CLEAN.
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