Rep. Cline demands accountability from ICE regarding the Biden Administration’s failed Catch and Release Program

WASHINGTON – On February 3, 2022, Congressman Ben Cline (VA-06) was joined by 80 of his House colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demanding answers related to President Biden’s failed Catch and Release program.

This letter comes in response to reports that 47,705 illegal aliens who were conditionally released from ICE custody with a Notice to Report failed to check in with authorities between March and August of 2021.

“Catch and Release was a failure during the Obama Administration and is once again failing under President Biden,” Cline said. “Those who cross our border illegally should be detained and deported, not released into the interior of our country on an unenforceable promise to reappear. It is nothing short of reckless for the Biden Administration to lose track of nearly 48,000 illegal aliens. Catch and Release make Americans less safe, and the program must be halted immediately.”

Text of the letter is found here.

Congressman Cline was joined in sending this letter by Representatives Rob Wittman (VA-01), Elise M. Stefanik (NY-21), Dan Meuser (PA-09), Doug Lamborn (CO-05), Jeff Fortenberry (NE-01), Rodney Davis (IL-13), Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D. (IA-02), Bob Good (VA-05), Louie Gohmert (TX-01), John H. Rutherford (FL-04), Randy K. Weber (TX-14), Fred Keller (PA-12), John R. Moolenaar (MI-04), Mary E. Miller (IL-15), Dan Bishop (CA-09), Ted Budd (NC-13), David McKinley (WV-01), Bob Gibbs (OH-07), Tom Emmer (MN-06), Jody Hice (GA-10), Bill Posey (FL-08), Jim Hagedorn (MN-01), Kat Cammack (FL-03), Barry Loudermilk (GA-11), William Timmons (SC-04), Jerry Carl (AL-01), Ronny L. Jackson (TX-13), Carlos Gimenez (FL-26), Michael Waltz (FL-06), Pat Fallon (TX-04), Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03), Troy Nehls (TX-02), Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), Lauren Boebert (CO-03), Madison Cawthorn (NC-11), Victoria Spartz (IN-05), Jack Bergman (MI-01), August Pfluger (TX-11), Ralph Norman (SC-05), Virginia Foxx (NC-05), Gus M. Bilirakis (FL-12), Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Matthew Rosendale, Sr. (MT-01), Garret Graves (LA-06), David Rouzer (NC-07), Brian Babin, D.D.S. (TX-36), Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14), Warren Davidson (OH-08), Mike Garcia (CA-25), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Troy Balderson (OH-12), Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (GA-01), Tom McClintock (CA-04), Vicky Hartzler (MO-04), Chip Roy (TX-21), Darrell Issa (CA-50), Matt Gaetz (FL-01), Tim Burchett (TN-02), Pete Sessions (TX-17), Richard Hudson (NC-08), Tim Walberg (MI-07), Clay Higgins (LA-03), Byron Donalds (FL-19), Brian Mast (FL- 18), Gregory F. Murphy, M.D. (NC- 03), Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15), Rick Crawford (AR-01), Roger Williams (TX-25), Sam Graves (MO-06), Mike Kelly (PA-16), Tony Gonzales (TX-23), Scott Perry (PA-10), Markwayne Mullin (OK-02), Lance Gooden (TX-05), Joe Wilson (SC-02), Pete Stauber (MN-08), Michael Cloud (TX-27), and Mike Carey (OH-15).