Tipsheet

DOJ Releases New Numbers: One-in-Five Federal Prisoners Are Foreign Born, Most Illegal Aliens

The Department of Justice has released new quarterly numbers, as required through an executive order signed by President Trump earlier this year, detailing how many foreign born individuals are currently incarcerated in the U.S. federal prison system. 

According to the numbers, one-in-five individuals were born outside of the U.S. and a significant number are illegal aliens. From the Alien Incarceration Report

A total  of 58,766 known  or suspected  aliens  were in  in  DOJ custody  at the end of  FY 2017, including  39,455 persons  in  BOP custody  and 19,311 in  USMS custody. 

Of this  total,  37,557 people had been  confirmed  by U.S. Immigration  and Customs  Enforcement (ICE) to be aliens  (i.e., non-citizens  and  non-nationals),  while  21,209 foreign-born  people were still  under  investigation  by  ICE to determine  alienage. 

Among  the  37,557 confirmed  aliens,  35,334 people (94 percent)  were unlawfully  present.  These numbers include a 92 percent  unlawful  rate among  24,476 confirmed  aliens  in  BOP custody  and a 97 percent unlawful rate among  13,081 confirmed  aliens  in  USMS custody. 

This  report  does not include  data on  the  foreign-born  or alien  populations  in  state  prisons and local  jails  because state  and local  facilities  do not  routinely  provide  DHS or DOJ with comprehensive  information  about  their  inmates  and detainees.  This  limitation  is noteworthy because  state and local  facilities  account  for  approximately 90 percent of  the total  U.S. incarcerated  population.  DHS and DOJ are working  to develop  a reliable  methodology  for estimating  the status  of state and  local  incarcerated populations  in  future  reports.  

"The American people deserve a lawful system of immigration that serves the national interest. But at the border and in communities across America, our citizens are being victimized by illegal aliens who commit crimes. Nearly 95 percent of confirmed aliens in our federal prisons are here illegally.  We know based on sentencing data that non-citizens commit a substantially disproportionate number of drug-related offenses, which contributes to our national drug abuse crisis," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said about the report. "The simple fact is that any offense committed by a criminal alien is ultimately preventable. One victim is too many.  It's time for Congress to enact the President's immigration reform agenda so that we start welcoming the best and brightest while turning away drug dealers, gang members, and other criminals."

Illegal alien incarceration costs American taxpayers nearly $2 billion each year.

“While the administration is working diligently to remove dangerous criminal aliens from our streets, this report highlights the fact that more must be done,” newly minter Homeland Security Secretary  Kirstjen Nielsen said. “We will continue to pursue President Trump’s immigration priorities, including securing the border, enhancing interior enforcement, and pursuing a merit-based immigration system, but Congress must act immediately to adopt obvious solutions to strengthen DHS and DOJ efforts to confront dangerous criminal aliens.”