In 2007, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement began developing a program to reduce the number of immigrants in prisons and jails across the country. The program is called Rapid Removal of Eligible Parolees Accepted for Transfer, or Rapid REPAT. Those eligible for the program can decide, with the advice of an attorney, whether it is better to remain in prison or jail to serve their full sentence or accept early release in exchange for voluntarily returning to their home countries.
Eligible inmates must be convicted of nonviolent offenses and under a final order to leave the country at the end of their incarceration. They must be willing to waive their right to appeal their sentences, and their home countries must agree to accept them upon release. Anyone released under the Rapid REPAT program who subsequently attempts to reenter the country risks being reincarcerated to complete their original sentence plus the potential for up to 20 additional years in prison.
The Rapid REPAT program has many financial benefits for Michigan and other states that employ it. It can also benefit those for whom voluntary removal to their home country is worth the trade-off for early release. However, such decisions have serious long-term consequences, so it is advisable for those faced with such decisions to discuss the matter with an experienced attorney.
This program does not apply to any undocumented immigrant, as ICE specifies, but rather to those who have committed a minor crime and are serving their sentence in state prisons.
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