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The Democratic Group has said it wants to see DHS end the 287 (g) program, which allows DHS to make deals with state and local police departments that allow officers to do the work of officers in the ‘ICE. The program existed before former President Donald Trump took office, but was expanded under his administration as part of an effort to recruit more help from local and state authorities to illegally deport more immigrants in the USA.
Lawmakers also called on the Biden administration to end a program initiated by the George W. Bush administration that allowed federal agents to access the fingerprints of people jailed by local and state authorities. The program, known as Safe Communities, was terminated by former President Barack Obama in 2014, but revived by Trump via an executive order in 2017.
Additionally, the group called on DHS to end the use of ICE detainees – requests to local law enforcement authorities to obtain information or detain a person for up to 48 hours. after she is supposed to be released, giving the ICE more time to facilitate the deportation.
“We respectfully urge you to end these programs and practices and usher in a new era of a fairer and more welcoming immigration enforcement system, separate from local law enforcement agencies,” wrote legislators.
The letter has been endorsed by several progressive and immigrant advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Immigrant Justice Center, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, and United We Dream.
Naureen Shah, ACLU senior policy and advocacy adviser, said the problem with local police working with the ICE is the fear it creates in migrant families, which reduces the likelihood of them reporting abuses. crimes. “It also means that immigrant workers and their families are afraid of being tested, vaccinated and treated for Covid-19 for fear of local police,” Shah said.
So far, the Biden administration has not publicly weighed in on how exactly it will run the relationship between DHS and state and local law enforcement, although Mayorkas is expected to promote more restraint on the part of agency with regard to detention and deportations. Biden announced on his first day in office a 100-day moratorium on most evictions, although the measure was temporarily blocked by a federal judge.
DHS also announced on the first day Biden took office that it would begin a review of immigration law enforcement policies and practices. In a note published Jan. 20, DHS Sec. David Pekoske said the ministry’s temporary immigration enforcement priorities are protection of national security, border security and public safety.
Some immigrant advocates admit they don’t expect DHS to change their practices overnight, but the Democrats’ letter is part of a bigger push progressives and immigrant advocacy groups will make to move Biden left on how his administration handles the work of the ICE.
Across Capitol Hill, Republicans have started stepping up their criticism of the Biden administration’s immigration program. A group of 12 Senate Republicans, including Sen. John Thune (RS.D.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), on Thursday urged the Biden administration to reconsider its immigration program given the rising numbers illegal border crossings.
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