A top government accountability group is set to send a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the U.S. Selective Service System (SSS) for data on illegal immigrants who failed to register for the draft, constituting a felony. The Oversight Project highlighted that under the Military Selective Service Act of 1917, all U.S. males aged 18-26 are mandated to register with the SSS, facing a felony conviction and a $250,000 fine for non-compliance.
Moreover, the McCarran-Walter Act of 1952 deems failure to register with the SSS as a deportable offense, with the SSS website explicitly stating that even undocumented aliens are required to sign up for the draft. However, the Oversight Project's filing pointed out a discrepancy regarding the SSS's stance on collecting information on immigration status.
The FOIA request also referenced a 2023 SSS report to Congress that documented 23,249 registrations from USCIS but lacked data from ICE and other agencies handling illegal immigration. The Oversight Project's representatives noted that SSS registrations have not surged despite an increase in military-aged males crossing the border during the Biden administration.
The group questioned whether the SSS deliberately avoided addressing this issue for political reasons. They suggested that the FOIA request could potentially aid in Border Czar Thomas Homan's mass deportation plans, as failure to register with the SSS is both a felony and a deportable offense.
By uncovering this legal loophole, the Oversight Project believes that federal entities could enhance immigration enforcement efforts. The FOIA request sought various data points from the SSS to determine the extent of non-compliance with the draft among asylum seekers and illegal immigrants.
Copies of the letter will also be distributed to key officials, including Homan, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, as part of the group's efforts to address this issue.
