Center For Immigration Studies Report On Deportation Of Criminal Immigrants Finds 35 Percent Were Released From Detention

Center For Immigration Studies: "ICE Released 68,000 Criminal Aliens In 2013, Or 35 Percent Of The Criminal Aliens." According to a report from the conservative Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), “In 2013, ICE reported 722,000 encounters with potentially deportable aliens, most of whom came to their attention after incarceration for a local arrest. Yet ICE officials followed through with immigration charges for only 195,000 of these aliens, only about one-fourth...Many of the aliens ignored by ICE were convicted criminals. In 2013, ICE agents released 68,000 aliens with criminal convictions, or 35 percent of all criminal aliens they reported encountering.” [Center for Immigration Studies, March 2014]

Fox's The Five Aired Deceptively Edited Clip Of Obama's White House Address To Law Enforcement Officials On Immigration Reform

Fox's Bolling Falsely Claimed Obama's Comments On Immigration Reform Were Related To CIS Report. During the May 14 edition of Fox News' The Five, a video of President Obama's May 13 speech to law enforcement officials in the White House was edited to appear as though the president referred to a report from the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) on criminal immigrants that were released from prison in 2013 and have yet to be deported. After bringing up the criminals mentioned in the CIS report, co-host Eric Bolling falsely claimed that “Just yesterday President O described these illegals not as hardened criminals, more like the guy next door. Kind of, sort of.” [Fox News, The Five, 5/14/14]

President Obama's Comments Did Not Address The CIS Report

President Obama Called For Immigration Reform That Allows “Law Enforcement Agencies To Do Their Job.” During a May 13 address to law enforcement officials, the president called for the passage of a comprehensive immigration reform bill that would free “law enforcement agencies to do their job.” Obama argued that the focus of immigration enforcement should be on “chasing gang bangers and going after violent criminals.” Obama's comments never addressed the report by CIS:

The immigration system that we have right now makes it harder, not easier, for law enforcement agencies to do their jobs. It makes it harder for law enforcement to know when dangerous people cross our borders. It makes it harder for business owners who play by the rules to compete when they're undercut by those who would exploit workers in a shadow economy. And it makes it harder for law enforcement to do their jobs when large segments of the community are afraid to report crimes or serve as witnesses because they fear the consequences for themselves or their families. [...] And keep in mind, some of these statistics you may have already heard -- it's estimated that over 80 percent of the folks who are here on an undocumented basis have been here 10 years or longer. These are folks who are woven into the fabrics of our communities. Their kids are going to school with our kids. Most of them are not making trouble; most of them are not causing crimes. And yet, we put them in this tenuous position and it creates a situation in which your personnel, who have got to go after gang-bangers and need to be going after violent criminals and deal with the whole range of challenges, and who have to cooperate with DHS around our counterterrorism activities -- you've got to spend time dealing with somebody who is not causing any other trouble other than the fact that they were trying to make a living for their families. That's just not a good use of our resources. It's not smart. It doesn't make sense. [WhiteHouse.gov, 5/13/14]

The Five Co-Hosts Bob Beckel And Dana Perino Agree That Clip Of Obama Was Deceptively Edited

Fox's Beckel: “I Have Been Told Not To Criticize Our Own Show, But That Edit Of Barack Obama Was One Of The Most Out Of Context.” During the segment, co-host Bob Beckel criticized The Five for taking the President's comments out of context to misconstrue his remarks as supporting the release of criminals. [Fox News, The Five, 5/14/14]

Fox's Perino: “I Don't Necessarily Think That Is What President Obama Was Talking About.” Co-host Dana Perino pushed back on the false assertion that Obama's comments addressed the CIS report and agreed with Beckel, noting that although “President Obama actually has some good numbers on deportation,” he “doesn't define the populations well.” Perino went on to say the administration bears some “responsibility” for the problem with passing immigration reform but that “those particular individuals are not one of them.” [Fox News, The Five, 5/14/14]