ICE issues guidance on deportation priorities

Terrorists, criminals prioritized for removal over military, children By Kimberly Atkins Dolan Media Newswires BOSTON, MA--The Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Principal Legal Advisor has issued a memo directing all ICE attorneys to begin a systematic review of immigration cases. The review will determine which cases should be slated for deportation proceedings and which should be placed on hold consistent with the Obama administration's enforcement priorities. In August the administration announced a new policy for handling some low-priority immigration cases with the aim of reducing the number of deportations, particularly among students or those who came to the country as children. Under the new directive, ICE prosecutors are to pursue certain removal cases in an accelerated manner, including those involving suspected terrorists, convicted felons and sex offenders, gang members and those convicted of immigration fraud. Prosecutors are given wider, case-by-case discretion as to whether to pursue deportation proceedings for lower-risk individuals, such as service members and veterans in good standing, those who entered the country as children and pursued education, those over the age of 65 who have been in the country more than a decade, domestic violence or human trafficking victims and longtime residents with strong family ties to U.S. citizens. Entire contents copyrighted © 2011 by Dolan Media Company. Published: Thu, Dec 8, 2011