WASHINGTON – After repeated calls from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley to pressure nations to cooperate with U.S. immigration authorities, the Obama Administration will begin suspending the issuance of certain categories of visas in Gambia because of the country’s refusal to repatriate its citizens who have been ordered to be deported from the United States.  The action is a modest step by the administration to push so-called “recalcitrant nations” to cooperate with U.S. deportation efforts.

“It’s good to see the Obama Administration finally take this step to hold Gambia accountable for blocking our efforts to remove its citizens who have violated our laws.  Perpetrators of serious crimes that trigger deportation shouldn’t get a free pass back into American communities because their home countries refuse to take responsibility. The administration should use its authority to broaden these sanctions if Gambia doesn’t quickly cooperate.  The administration should not be shy about using this long-neglected visa sanction authority against other uncooperative nations as well.  It’s time we make clear to these nations that blocking U.S. deportation efforts by refusing to take back their citizens has consequences,” Grassley said.

Dating back to 2012, and as recently as last week, Grassley has urged the Obama Administration to use its visa sanction authority to compel cooperation on repatriation of foreign nationals with removal orders, as Congress intended. Years of failures to sanction uncooperative nations have resulted in the release into American communities of thousands of foreign nationals with criminal records despite deportation orders.  Many have gone on to commit other crimes, including murder.

According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in 2015, 2,166 criminal immigrants were released back into communities across the country rather than deported because their home countries refused to take them back; more than 6,100 were released in the preceding two years. According to federal agency records recently obtained by the Judiciary Committee, 23 countries are listed as “uncooperative” with U.S. deportation efforts, meaning the countries have a history of demonstrated unwillingness to assist with removal efforts and/or fail to honor existing removal agreements.  An additional 62 countries are cited for chronic delays in cooperation.

In June, Grassley pressed the Obama Administration about its refusal to use visa sanctions to compel cooperation. Last year, Grassley expressed frustration that the Obama Administration failed to require cooperation from Cuba, a habitual recalcitrant nation, when negotiating improved diplomatic relations.

In 2014, Grassley, along with Senators Jim Inhofe, Jeff Sessions, David Vitter and Ted Cruz, introduced legislation to close a legal loophole that requires immigration authorities to release back into the United States any immigrant who has not been accepted for deportation to other countries after being detained for six months; a practice commonly referred to as “catch and release.”

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