Trump Administration Expands Policies For Deportation Of Undocumented Immigrants (VIDEO)

On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security detailed President Donald Trump’s plans for expanded enforcement of current immigration laws. According to DHS officials, these plans would likely lead to a significant increase in the number of people detained and deported.

Expansion Of Enforcement

DHS memos were obtained and reported on by CNN over the weekend. Their contents laid out plans to expand upon orders that are unrelated to Trump’s travel ban, which is currently being fought in the courts and re-written by the White House.

This expansion would vastly increase resources going to the following:

  • Immigration and Customs Enforcement
  • Customs and Border Protection
  • Construction of a wall along the southern border
  • Enforcing current laws regarding undocumented immigrants

Immigrant Communities Worried

Immigrant communities are currently experiencing a rush of fear over this increased enforcement by the government. As a result of this expansion, there would likely be an increase in the deportation of undocumented immigrants. However, the DHS says that the policies won’t lead to an immediate round up of undocumented immigrants, with one official saying:

“We’re not going to start changing this today, it’s not going to start happening tomorrow. You will not see folks rounded up or anything of the sort.”

The Trump administration has also made it clear that it will be leaving President Obama’s DACA program intact. This means that undocumented immigrants that came to the U.S. as children and undocumented parents of U.S. citizens will not be deported.

The Department of Homeland Security also stressed that the agency would focus on targeting “criminals,” rather than law-abiding undocumented immigrants. Unfortunately, they did acknowledge that people who weren’t targeted for deportation with the Obama administration could be at risk under Trump, as one official stated:

“The fact that you are not a priority does not exempt you from potential enforcement.”

Many of the country’s undocumented immigrants are concerned about the expansion, even though it is unclear how or when it will be implemented. Even with the travel ban in the process of being laughed out of court, it seems that Donald Trump will continue to march in the direction of anti-immigration one policy at a time.

Watch the video below for more information on this policy expansion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNRK3OCLgQo

Featured image credit: screengrab from Twitter.

Currently a researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. Has experience in diabetes and cancer research, as well as a background in marine biology. Writes science and health blogs on his website at http://dochogblog.weebly.com/blog