Ron DeSantis Goes After Eric Holder on Immigration

From his perch on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., took aim at comments made by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in a recent interview in which he said the immigration laws are being enforced." DeSantis, a frequent critic of Holder, fired back on Tuesday.

I'm still trying to figure out if he was joking, DeSantis insisted. Take, for example, the DHS report from earlier this year about the government's release of criminal illegal aliens. These are individuals who were unlawfully present in the country and who were convicted of a serious criminal offense. According to the DHS report, ICE released more than 36,000 criminal convicts during fiscal year 2013 alone instead of returning them to the home country as required by law.

DeSantis continued: The breakdown of offenses provided by DHS is stunning, and includes the following offenses: 193 homicide convictions (including one willful killing of a public official with gun); 426 sexual assault convictions; 303 kidnapping convictions; 1,075 aggravated assault convictions; 1,160 stolen vehicle convictions; 9,187 dangerous drug convictions;16,070 drunk or drugged driving convictions; 303 flight escape convictions.

Releasing convicted criminals back into American society is contrary to the safety and welfare of the American people, DeSantis concluded. It also sends a message to those who contemplate illegally entering the U.S. that the government is not serious about law enforcement.