Kristi Noem on ICE Office Closure and Real ID Enforcement

ICE Office Closure and Data Tracking

• 🎯 Kristi Noem accuses the Biden administration of closing an ICE office that tracked criminal activity by illegal aliens.
• 💡 The closed office, known as the Victims Of Immigration Crimes Engagement (VOICE) office, was opened under the Trump administration.
• ⚠️ Noem believes the closure was an attempt to cover up the extent of crimes committed by illegal aliens against American citizens.
• ✅ Her department has since reopened the VOICE office to better track victims and their cases.

Immigration Backlogs and Enforcement

• 📈 There are tens of thousands of illegal aliens who have committed crimes in the U.S., with over 160,000 repatriations targeting such individuals.
• 🧩 The challenge remains with millions of illegal aliens who have overstayed visas or entered illegally, requiring final removal orders.
• ⏳ ICE is working to remove hundreds of thousands, but a significant backlog of up to a million cases exists due to lower priority under the previous administration.

Real ID Act Enforcement

• ✈️ The Real ID Act, in effect for over 20 years, will be enforced starting tomorrow, with 81% of travelers already compliant.
• 🛂 Acceptable forms of identification include passports, federally recognized IDs, and tribal IDs.
• ⚠️ Travelers without compliant IDs may face extra steps but will still be allowed to fly.
• 🔒 The enforcement aims to enhance security by verifying the identities of individuals authorized to travel.

Community Development Block Grants (BRICK Grants)

• 🤝 Kristi Noem expresses interest in reforming BRICK grants, which were valuable community development programs established under President Trump.
• 📊 She acknowledges that grants can be misused and that evaluating them, especially from the end of an administration, is important.
• ✅ There is strong bipartisan support for continuing and reforming the BRICK grant program.