Fact check: CPAC speaker falsely says Biden halted deportation of criminals

Speaking at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., criticized Democrats’ immigration proposals and claimed that President Joe Biden was giving terrorists and other criminals a pass to stay in the country even if they were here illegally.

"They have halted deportations for all illegal aliens — murderers, rapists, terrorists, MS-13 gang members are not being deported," Cotton told CPAC attendees Feb. 26 in Orlando.

Is Cotton right about criminals being allowed to stay? No. His claim ignores the policies of the Department of Homeland Security.

"Sen. Cotton misspoke," with respect to terrorists not being deported, James Arnold, a spokesperson for Cotton, told PolitiFact.

"Due to limited resources, DHS cannot respond to all immigration violations or remove all persons unlawfully in the United States," Pekoske said. "Rather, DHS must implement civil immigration enforcement based on sensible priorities and changing circumstances."

The deportation pause did not apply to people who had engaged or were suspected of engaging in terrorism or espionage, or posed a danger to national security and public safety.

People were still eligible for deportation if they were in prison or jail and released on or after the date of Pekoske’s memo, and if they were convicted of an aggravated felony. An aggravated felony includes murder, rape or sexual abuse of a minor.

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"Individuals are presumed to be a threat to public safety if, for example, they have been convicted of an aggravated felony or engaged in certain activity as part of a criminal gang or transnational criminal organization and there is reason to believe they currently pose a threat," ICE said.

We don’t have data on how many murderers, rapists, gang members or terrorists have been deported during the Biden administration. But it is inaccurate to say that their deportations were halted.

Cotton said, "They have halted deportations for all illegal aliens, murderers, rapists, terrorists, MS-13 gang members are not being deported."

Biden’s administration ordered a 100-day deportation pause, but it did not apply to criminals such as murderers, rapists, terrorists or gang members.

We rate Cotton’s claim False.