DHS arrests illegal immigrants after asylum bids fail in court

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has started a strategy to fast-track the deportations of illegal immigrants as soon as they leave courtrooms after dismissed asylum hearings.

The initiative from the Trump administration and ICE will target those who have illegally been living in the US for the last two years, according to Fox News, citing sources familiar with the strategy. The outlet reported that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is vying to get asylum cases involving foreign nationals dropped and then expedite the removal process for those who came to the US illegally over the last couple years.

There have been videos of arrests taking place outside of courtrooms happening across social media, the outlet reported. When an illegal immigrant has a pending asylum case, expedited removal is not possible, which is the reason behind DHS wanting to get the cases dropped.

"Secretary Noem is reversing Biden’s catch-and-release policy that allowed millions of unvetted illegal aliens to be let loose on American streets," a DHS representative told Fox News. "This Administration is once again implementing the rule of law."

"Most aliens who illegally entered the United States within the past two years are subject to expedited removals," the spokesperson added when talking to reporters.

"Biden ignored this legal fact and chose to release millions of illegal aliens, including violent criminals, into the country with a notice to appear before an immigration judge," the spokesperson added. "ICE is now following the law and placing these illegal aliens in expedited removal, as they always should have been. If they have a valid credible fear claim, they will continue in immigration proceedings, but if no valid claim is found, aliens will be subject to a swift deportation."

Immigration attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch spoke to the outlet about the strategy, and said that if an attorney for the DHS asks for the asylum case to be dismissed, and if the judge agrees without objection, then ICE can apprehend them as they leave the courtroom.

"Because the playbook is this: the immigrant goes into their court hearing. The DHS attorney, which is essentially the prosecutor, tells the judge, 'Judge, we actually want to dismiss this case. We don't want to pursue it.' And in many instances, the judge will just dismiss over objection of the immigrant or [if] the immigrant doesn't know any better, and they say, ‘Sure, that sounds great.’ And then they walk out of the courtroom, and they're apprehended," Lincoln-Goldfinch said.