ICE arrests more aliens who failed to leave the U.S. after being granted voluntary departure

ICE Enforcement and Removal officers from Dec. 7 to Dec. 17 arrested in excess of 150 people, including 117 individuals who did not leave the U.S. after they were granted voluntary departure.

By Alex Nitzberg

Published: December 21, 2020 5:08pm

Updated: December 21, 2020 6:18pm

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has continued to apprehend aliens who pledged to depart from America voluntarily rather than face formal deportation but then failed to exit the country.

ICE Enforcement and Removal officers arrested in excess of 150 people from Dec. 7 to Dec.17, including 117 individuals who did not leave the U.S. after they were granted voluntary departure, according to a press release regarding results from "Operation Broken Promise." The release said that around "71% of those arrested had criminal convictions or pending charges."

The agency also arrested more than 150 people last month who did not leave the U.S. despite being granted voluntary departure.

"Voluntary departure is typically requested by the alien and granted by an immigration judge, where the alien is granted about 60 to 120 days to arrange their own departure, versus facing a formal deportation and the barriers to readmission that it carries," the press release explains. "Voluntary departures benefit U.S. taxpayers by lowering the costs of deportations."