According to U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials, U.S. immigration officials will review their approach to arrests and deportations under President Biden.
“US Citizenship and Immigration Services recently revoked two 2018 policy notes related to the issuance of notices appearing in the processing of immigration benefit requests,” USCIS spokesman Matthew Bourke said Sunday. “The Agency has been instructed to [Department of Homeland Security] memo issued on January 20th. “
This is the day Biden was inaugurated – and when he signed a number of executive orders, some of which reversed parts of former President Donald Trump’s immigration policy. He strengthened the protection for recipients of the Defered Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and stopped work on the border wall.
FILE – On this February 5, 2021, the file photo President Joe Biden talks about the economy in the state dining room of the White House in Washington. Biden’s push for a giant bill on COVID-19 forces an internal settlement that addresses his instinct to reach a bilateral agreement against the demands of an urgent crisis and his desire to deliver for those who helped him choose . (AP Photo / Alex Brandon, file)
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“Due to limited resources, DHS is not able to respond to all immigration offenses or remove all persons in the United States illegally,” the memo reads. “On the contrary, DHS must implement the implementation of civil immigration based on meaningful priorities and changing circumstances.”
The DHS change took effect on February 1, attempting to stop removals for a hundred days, except under certain circumstances – before a judge closes the policy.
Democratic Texas Representative Henry Cuellar told America’s News Headquarters on Sunday that he had called the White House to be concerned about the new government’s immigration policy.
“There are policies that we have had under President Obama that I think we need to look at and implement,” he said. “And in fact … President Obama actually deported more people than President Trump did.”
The change in guidelines is aimed at encouraging non-citizens to submit supporters to immigration officials without being deported immediately.
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In addition, immigration and customs enforcement will soon receive new guidance that will lead to fewer arrests and deportations while using more resources for national security issues, suspects in sex crimes, gang members, criminals and recent arrivals, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The policy change would mean that officers would no longer seek deportation for immigrants convicted of drunk driving and assault, and would weaken the ICE’s ability to arrest wanted immigrants at correctional facilities.
ICE will stop pursuing deportations of convicted drug criminals, DUI drivers, low-level attackers, fraudsters and thieves, according to a memorandum from acting director Tae Johnson obtained earlier by the Washington Post.
“They abolished ICE without abolishing ICE,” an unnamed official told the newspaper.
Cuellar expressed its opposition to this policy.
“I support ICE,” said the Democratic congressman, whose district touches the border. “I support the men and women who are there. We just have to find the right policy.”
Fox News’ Griff Jenkins contributed to this report.