FOIA Request Targets Draft Registration of Illegal Immigrants
The U.S. Selective Service System (SSS) is under scrutiny as a top government accountability group prepares to submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The aim is to obtain data surrounding illegal immigrants who have failed to register for the military draft, a violation that is classified as a felony.
Oversight Project’s Call for Accountability
The Oversight Project, an organization dedicated to government accountability, is spearheading this request. Executive Director Mike Howell emphasized that this action should not be interpreted as support for illegal immigrants serving in the military. Rather, it reflects a commitment to ensuring compliance with laws governing draft registration.
According to the Military Selective Service Act of 1917, all U.S. males aged 18-26 are mandated to register with the SSS, with failure to comply potentially resulting in a felony conviction and a fine of up to 0,000. Howell’s group highlighted this legal requirement in their FOIA filing.
Legal Implications of Non-Registration
The situation is further complicated by the McCarran-Walter Act of 1952, which classifies failure to register with the SSS as a deportable offense. Howell pointed out that the SSS website explicitly states that undocumented aliens must register for the draft. However, there exists a notable discrepancy; the SSS has indicated that it does not collect or share information regarding an individual’s immigration status.
Howell noted that the SSS has “no authority to collect such information, has no use for it, and it is irrelevant to the registration requirement.” This statement raises questions about the agency’s enforcement measures and its commitment to ensuring that all eligible individuals, including undocumented aliens, comply with registration laws.
Widespread Non-Compliance Under Scrutiny
Recent reports indicate a troubling trend concerning SSS registrations. In a 2023 report submitted to Congress, the SSS cataloged 23,249 registrations from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which oversees legal immigration. Notably absent, however, was data from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Office of Refugee Resettlement, and other agencies responsible for managing illegal immigration and asylum seekers.
Howell and attorney Kyle Brosnan, in a Thursday interview, voiced their concerns regarding the stagnation of SSS registrations during the Biden administration. They noted an evident increase in “military-aged males” crossing the border, yet SSS registration figures have remained flat. This discrepancy has led them to suggest that there may be widespread criminal non-compliance among undocumented individuals.
Brosnan stated, “There should be a large increase in [SSS registration] with 10 million illegals that have come over the border in the last four years.” He further criticized former DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’s testimony, questioning why effective processing of undocumented immigrants has not coincided with increased SSS registrations.
Political Implications of FOIA Request
The ramifications of the FOIA request could extend well beyond merely identifying failures in draft registration among undocumented residents. Howell suggested that this investigation could potentially bolster the mass deportation efforts of the Trump administration, offering a streamlined legal basis for large-scale immigration enforcement.
“Now that this little quirk has been figured out, how can ICE and other entities in the federal government use this new authority to drastically scale up immigration enforcement?” Howell questioned, emphasizing the legal complexities involved in addressing non-registration.
He added, “You can turn a class of individuals into potential criminals overnight. What it also means is you don’t need ICE necessarily to do it. Alleged SSS violators would be prosecuted by the DOJ, meaning they’re in federal prison potentially, as opposed to taking up space in ICE custody.”
The Request for Data
The Oversight Project formally requested at least a dozen data points from the SSS, aiming to comprehend how many asylum seekers and illegal immigrants are violating not just immigration laws, but also the draft registration requirements. Howell remarked that the outcomes of the FOIA request could significantly influence government’s approach to immigration enforcement in the future.
Copies of the letter sent to the SSS will also be forwarded to notable officials such as Border Czar Thomas Homan, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, highlighting the far-reaching implications this issue holds across various governmental departments.
Conclusion
The forthcoming investigation into draft registration compliance among illegal immigrants underscores broader concerns about immigration enforcement and accountability within the U.S. government. As the Oversight Project seeks to shine a light on potential discrepancies in SSS operations, it raises pressing questions about the responsibilities of federal agencies in enforcing existing laws and the political implications of their actions.
The resolution of this FOIA request may not only reveal the extent of non-registration among undocumented individuals but could also reshape the conversation around immigration enforcement and policy in the United States.
