Immigration Reform News 2017: Plan to Deport Undocumented Immigrants in U.S. In Full Swing
U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration plans are already taking shape. This week, the Department of Homeland Security helmed by John Kelly issued a set of orders that seek to boost immigration enforcement in the U.S.
Shortly after taking office, Trump issued an executive order that places all undocumented immigrants in the country at risk of deportation. Today, there are about 11 million of such immigrants in the U.S.
In the memo issued by the Department of Homeland Security, all agents are instructed to immediately deport all identified undocumented immigrants that they encounter. It also covers immigrants who "engaged in fraud or willful misrepresentation in connection with any official matter before a government agency" or took advantage of any of the existing public-benefit programs of the U.S. government.
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The memo also authorizes all immigration officials to deport immigrants who pose a risk to national security. While it includes a catch-all category, the memo makes undocumented immigrants previously convicted of a crime the top priority.
The memo also instructs that all captured undocumented immigrants be detained until their cases are cracked. Part of the memo reads, "Department personnel have full authority to arrest or apprehend an alien whom an immigration officer has probably cause to believe is in violation of the immigration laws. They also have full authority to initiate removal proceedings against any alien who is subject to removal under any provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act."
In line with the memo, the U.S. government will hire 10,000 more immigration agents to aid in immigration enforcement.
During former President Barack Obama's administration, immigration policies focused more on convicted criminals than the greater undocumented population. In defense of Trump's new policies, White House press secretary Sean Spicer emphasized in a statement that the recent memo does not signify a goal of mass deportations, saying that the the policies only focus on the illegal immigrants.
