U.S. Representative Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04) sent a letter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deputy Director Patrick Lechleitner on Thursday requesting accurate data regarding crimes committed by juvenile illegal immigrants.
As of July 21, 662,566 noncitizens with criminal histories were on ICE’s national docket, which includes both those detained by ICE and those on the agency’s non-detained docket.
I authored a letter to ICE Deputy Director Patrick Lechleitner requesting answers for the lack of data of illegal migrant juveniles committing crimes and the reason that there is no vetting process for juvenile border crossers.
My full letter ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/auh4y7Ixvw
— Scott DesJarlais (@DesJarlaisTN04) October 3, 2024
In his letter, DesJarlais raised concerns that “no government entity is currently tracking illegal immigrant minors with criminal history” in addition to a lack of vetting process for minors attempting to seek entry into the U.S.
DesJarlais cited three recent examples of crimes committed by juvenile migrants who are in the country illegally, including one instance in Tennessee where a group of illegal migrant teenagers robbed Sumner Gun & Supply in Gallatin this past summer.
“These stories represent just a few of the mounting criminal reports nationwide. It is baffling to me and millions of other Americans that even though there has been a significant number of crimes reported amongst juvenile illegal immigrants, the Biden-Harris Administration has not instituted any type of vetting for gang affiliation or a simple criminal background check of minors crossing the border illegally,” DesJarlais wrote.
DesJarlais concluded the letter by requesting answers by October 21 to a lengthy series of questions regarding the number of illegal immigrant minors committing crimes and the vetting process for juvenile border crossers.
“While I understand that juvenile criminal records are sealed to protect the identity of the individual, the information that can be gained by sharing this data with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies about the criminal record of previously illegal immigrant criminal migrants would be an invaluable tool for our border patrol and law enforcement officers for the protection of our communities and nation,” DesJarlais added.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
