Washington – The trump administration On Tuesday, the scope of expedited deportations was dramatically expanded, implementing a nationwide expansion of an immigration policy called “expedited removal,” which was previously limited to areas close to the U.S. borders.
Expedited removal allows U.S. immigration authorities to deport immigrants who lack proper documentation through a streamlined process that is lengthy and massively backlogged Immigration Court System. If people identified for expedited removal do not request asylum or fail to establish that they may have a legitimate asylum case, they may be speedily deported, without the opportunity to see an immigration judge. Is.
Before Tuesday's change, federal immigration officials were allowed to use expedited removal only on unauthorized immigrants detained within 100 miles of the international border and who had been in the U.S. for less than two weeks.
Now, these expedited deportations will apply to unauthorized immigrants anywhere in the US who cannot prove they have been in the country for more than two years. step The Trump administration's first policy, which was discontinued by the Biden administration, was revived by the Department of Homeland Security. It took effect Tuesday at 6 p.m. Eastern Time.
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Less than 48 hours after returning to the Oval Office, President Trump has already taken A series of actions were taken to launch a multi-pronged crackdown on immigration, some of which were unprecedented in nature.
Mr Trump used extraordinary presidential powers to close access to the US asylum system; A national emergency was declared to send more troops to the southern border; put a halt to refugee admissions programs; and directed federal agencies to deny birthright citizenship For children of immigrants living in the US illegally or on a temporary visa. The latter action has already taken place file lawsuits From Democratic-led states and pro-immigrant groups.
The president has also laid the groundwork for his promised mass deportations, directing federal officials to expand immigration detention facilities and allowing local law enforcement officials to arrest and detain unauthorized immigrants. its administration Biden-era guidelines rescinded which prevented deportation officers from making arrests at so-called “sensitive locations”, including schools and churches.
Democratic-led cities with “sanctuary” policies, which limit cooperation with federal immigration agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement, are bracing for an increase in federal operations targeting unauthorized immigrants in their communities.
Trump administration officials have said that while people with criminal histories will be prioritized for arrest, unauthorized immigrants with clean records are also at risk of being detained — a major change from the Biden administration's policy.
