US Immigration Department Fails To Monitor Alternatives To Detention Program - Watchdog

Faizan Hashmi Published September 18, 2018 | 09:08 PM

The US Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), after reporting a high level of compliance from 2011 to 2013 by illegal aliens released with electronic monitors, stopped collecting data on the program's performance and needs to begin re-assessing the effectiveness of releasing detainees into the public, according to a report by the General Accountability Office (GAO) on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th September, 2018) The US Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), after reporting a high level of compliance from 2011 to 2013 by illegal aliens released with electronic monitors, stopped collecting data on the program's performance and needs to begin re-assessing the effectiveness of releasing detainees into the public, according to a report by the General Accountability Office (GAO) on Tuesday.

The Alternatives to Detention program allows illegals with pending cases to be released and may be monitored electronically, a press release summarizing the report explained.

"Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] reported high levels of program compliance from 2011 through 2013 but did not collect data on the entire program," the release stated. "We recommended improving program performance measures."

The report also faulted EOIR for failing to address a backlog of immigration cases, which doubled from 2006 to 2015, despite a decline in the number of new cases.

The Primary reason for the backlog was difficulty hiring new immigration judges, according to the report, which recommended improvements in the agency's hiring process.