Despite the Trump campaign’s promise to focus on arresting immigrants
with criminal records, the Trump administration’s Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) doesn’t appear to have the same focus. For
example, in a
July raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), DHS detained 650 immigrants from various states, the vast majority of
which have no criminal record. More specifically, 520 of the 650 immigrants
had no criminal history at all. According to ICE, the arrested individuals
all were subject to existing removal orders by immigration courts, but
how many individuals were swept up in the raid that ICE was not targeting
is unclear. A spokesperson for ICE said the move was necessary to deter
immigrants from attempting to enter the U.S. illegally, which is often
a dangerous and costly undertaking. Likewise, if Central American immigrants
know that the policy is to immediately deport undocumented immigrants,
then ICE believes that they will not take the risk of spending their life
savings in order to make the trip. However, the spokesperson gave no indication
or explanation as to why individuals with no criminal histories have suddenly
become a priority for ICE. Instead, she characterized the recent raids
as part of the Operation Border Guardian/Border Resolve program, which
was launched to slow the marked increase in Central American families
attempting to illegally cross the border. Statistics show that there was
a 23% increase in migrants attempting to enter the U.S. between 2015 and
2016. Recent conditions of extreme violence from gang members in Central
American countries, such as Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, have
sparked a refugee crisis, according to United Nations workers. Combined
with the poverty-stricken nature of these countries, many immigrants have
fled their native countries in hopes of both protecting their families
from violence and increasing their wealth. If you are facing deportation,
don’t lose hope. The deportation defense attorneys of
Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C.
know how to help you through every step of your deportation proceedings.
Take the first step today toward securing the future of your family in
the United States, and call our office at (510) 756-4468 to set up a
legal consultation with one of our highly skilled immigration lawyers.
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If you want to know more about the Biden's Proposed Immigration Reform, watch our video!