Program lets illegal immigrants volunteer to leave

You've got to give them credit for creative headlines; I had no idea Americans were keeping illegal aliens captive.

AP posted the article with the Headline "Program lets illegal immigrants volunteer to leave"

Excerpt:
"Those folks will be able to walk into an ICE office and say I'm here and I want to go home," Bassett said. They will not be jailed as most people are who are arrested because they are believed to be in the country illegally, she said. They will not be required to wear tracking devices, she said.
Jim Hayes, the acting ICE detention and removal director, said some 572,000 people in the country have final deportation orders but have not committed a crime."

Hayes denied that the voluntary departure program was designed to increase the numbers of immigrants removed from the country or as a political move in the ...

ICE program: Volunteer for deportation, get 90 days to leave family Contra Costa Times
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Comment by Ira Mehlman Federation for American Immigration Reform
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Here's the actual ICE release on the subject: Excerpt: "There are approximately 572,000 ICE fugitives in the United States, including 457,000 who do not have criminal histories. An ICE fugitive is defined as an alien who has failed to depart the United States based upon a final order of removal, deportation, or exclusion from a U.S. immigration judge, or who has failed to report to ICE after receiving notice to do so. Only non-criminal fugitive aliens are eligible for the program and will be screened by an ICE officer when reporting to verify status. ICE officers will update immigration databases, and explain supervision requirements to eligible aliens. Aliens who qualify would be allowed to remain in the community with a reporting requirement or an electronic monitoring device. Since all situations are unique, an ICE officer will notify the alien of the next steps to take for removal.
Aliens who are able to provide for their own removal would have the flexibility to make their own travel arrangements within a 90-day time period. ICE will work with eligible aliens who are not able to provide for their travel; however, ICE will maintain control and schedule the travel arrangements in these specific cases."