The Biden Administration has passed new guidelines regarding deportation. As many people throughout the state of Texas and the rest of the country anticipated, these policies are different than the ones that were in place by the Trump Administration. These new guidelines give focus to apprehending those threatening national security and public safety.
Defining a threat to national security
Since these guidelines instruct agencies that deal with immigration to diminish the number of immigrants who are threatening national security, it’s important to determine who these are. The Director of ICE has defined these immigrants as people who engage in or are suspected of engaging in spying or terrorism activities. Officers dealing with immigration have been given the green light to arrest immigrants who they believe are a threat to U.S. national security beyond what was already defined.
Recent undocumented border crossers targeted
One guideline that may have taken some Biden supporters by surprise is his upholding of an action of former President Trump to remove recent border crossers. In the guidelines, any immigrants who crossed or attempted to cross U.S. borders without permission after Nov. 1, 2020, will be prioritized higher for deportation. This includes asylum seekers.
Immigrants who were convicted of crimes
Biden also put a focus on prioritizing the deportation of non-citizens who were convicted of committing crimes within the United States. The crimes that qualify include those that are deemed to be aggravated felonies under the United States immigration law. He also included immigrants who are known to participate in crimes with street gangs in this category.
The new deportation guidelines for the United States have undergone some changes under President Biden. While he changed several things that he said he would during his campaign speeches, he did leave some of the Trump-era guidelines in place. The laws surrounding immigration are often in flux, so individuals who have questions about their immigration status or other concerns may want to contact an attorney.