In a variety of different cases, members of Congress have filed private
bills to legalize the status of individual immigrants and prevent their
deportation. For most immigrants in this situation, a private bill sponsored
by a member of Congress is a last-ditch effort to avoid deportation. Filing
these bills, even if Congress does not ultimately approve them, typically
at least delays the deportation of these immigrants while Congress is
considering the bills. The Trump administration, however, now has pledged
to reduce the amount of time they will delay the deportation of these
immigrants. More specifically, according to acting Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Thomas Homan, ICE will refrain from
deporting these immigrants for a period of only six months, with the possibility
of one 90-day extension. In the past, ICE held off on deportations for
these immigrants for much longer periods of times and in some cases, years,
throughout one or more sessions of Congress. Additionally, congressional
leaders must now formally request ICE to delay deportations. Although
these changes affect a relatively small number of immigrants, they are
indicative of the overall increased focus on immigration enforcement by
the Trump administration. Congress only passed 94 of these private immigration
bills between 1986 and 2013. Nonetheless, some U.S. senators criticized
ICE for changing longstanding policies on private bills without even consulting
lawmakers first. Over the last six years, ICE granted at least 70 stays
of deportation for immigrants with pending private bills, based solely
on informal requests. With the current policy, an immigrant could be deported
before Congress even reviews a private bill concerning the immigrant.
The deportation defense lawyers of Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C. are
here to handle deportation defense claims on behalf of individuals who
have been detained and charged with removal. We know how devastating it
can be for individuals to face potentially being forced to return to a
country where they previously were persecuted, where they no longer have
family or a home, or where they will experience significant violence and
unrest. We care about you and your family, and we want to help you remain
in the country. Call our office today to set up a time to talk with us
about your situation.
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If you want to know more about the Biden's Proposed Immigration Reform, watch our video!