Report: 15 DACA Illegal Aliens Arrested in ICE Sweep Targeting “Worst of the Worst Criminals”

As part of an operation targeting dangerous criminal aliens, ICE arrested 15 illegal aliens who had been given a work permit and Social Security card under Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, according to the Associated Press. This revelation undermines the probity of DACA since it was billed as a program to help conscientious young illegal aliens get an education and eventually benefit society.

The Department of Homeland Security told AP that 14 of the 15 DACA recipients had been convicted of a serious crime. One had his DACA status renewed after being convicted in a drug case. AP did not report when the other 13 had been convicted or the nature of their crimes. DHS had revoked DACA status for three.

The 15th illegal alien had not been convicted of a crime but was arrested after he was found to be carrying a gun. The operation also netted five illegal aliens who had applied for DACA and 19 who had previously been denied.

An ICE official said the operation had targeted “the worst of the worst criminals.” Agents arrested 2,059 illegal aliens who had a serious conviction. 1,000 of these had multiple convictions.

Commenting on the DACA-recipient arrests, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., told AP “With few fraud detection measures and effective background checks in place, it’s no surprise that ICE arrested over a dozen DACA recipients last week, most of whom had already been convicted of a crime. I and other members of the House Judiciary Committee have expressed concern about this for years.”

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, told AP the arrests “sheds light on what appears to be a haphazard and risky vetting process by an administration that is very interested in finding creative and possibly unconstitutional ways for people to stay in the country.”

At a hearing of his Senate Judiciary Immigration and the National Interest Subcommittee, Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., said USCIS would not be able to check amnesty applicants for past criminal activities or ties to gangs, according to Breitbart News. At the hearing, USCIS officials admitted they would not give executive amnesty applicants in-person interviews. Sen. Sessions said that was a “dangerous” process, especially since the agency has been accused of “rubber-stamping” applications.

Read more from the Associated Press and Breitbart News.