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Contact: Jill Farrell, Judicial Watch, 202-646-5188
WASHINGTON, July 15, 2015 /Standard Newswire/ -- Judicial Watch announced today that it obtained records from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealing that nearly 260 illegal alien criminals, including 40 incarcerated for violent crimes, were released from Arizona detention facilities during the last week of February and the first two weeks of March 2013. After first denying that the mass release had taken place, the Obama administration claimed the releases were due to the anticipated sequestration budget cuts. The newly obtained records were uncovered because of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed by Judicial Watch on behalf of Edward Tuffly, a Tucson, AZ, resident (Edward "Bud" Tuffly v. U. S. Department of Homeland Security (No. 2:15-cv-00067)).
Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit for Mr. Tuffly in January 2015 after DHS failed to respond to his November 10, 2014, FOIA request of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) seeking the following information:
- Records sufficient to identify all ICE detainees released in late February or early March 2013 from the following detention facilities due to alleged fiscal or budget uncertainty: (a) Central Arizona Correctional Center in Florence, Arizona: (b) Eloy Detention Center in Eloy, Arizona; (c) Florence Correctional Center in Florence, Arizona; (d) Florence SPC in Florence, Arizona; and (e) Pinal County Adult Detention Center in Florence, Arizona.
- For each detainee identified in response to Request No.1, the I-213 form(s) documenting the detainee's arrest.
- For each detainee identified in response to Request No.1, records sufficient to identify: (a) the date the detainee was released; (b) the facility from which the detainee was released; (c) the detainee’s criminal history or criminal charges at the time of release; (d) methods of supervision to which the detainee was subjected; and (e) whether the detainee appeared for subsequent removal or other proceedings and/or was removed from the United States.
The date range for the requested records was February 22 through March 15, 2013. This was the period during which DHS released more than 2000 illegal aliens nationwide, later claiming the release was "solely for budgetary reasons," though none of the anticipated sequestration budget cuts had yet taken place.
Among the nearly 260 illegal aliens released from five Arizona correction facilities at the time were nearly 40 violent criminals who had been arrested for crimes including assault, domestic violence, weapons offenses, and battery. Nearly one in five had been arrested for drunk driving. The full list is below:
Traffic Offense: 57
Driving Under Influence Liquor: 55
Disorderly Conduct: 15
Failure to Appear: 14
Illegal Entry: 13
Assault: 9
Drug Trafficking: 9
Shoplifting: 8
Larceny: 8
Making False Report: 6
Drug Possession: 6
Weapons Offense: 6
Forgery: 5
Domestic Violence: 4
Trespassing: 4
Damage Property: 4
Prostitution: 4
Liquor: 3
Marijuana: 3
Damage Property—Private: 3
Probation Violation 3
Liquor Possession: 2
Identity Theft: 2
Battery: 2
Contributing to Delinquency of Minor: 2
Commercial Sex: 2
Fraud—False Statement: 2
Fraud—Impersonating: 2
Public Order Crimes: 2
Violation of a Court Order: 2
Robbery—Street Gun: 2
Robbery: 2
