Almost every undocumented immigrant currently living in the US is to be considered for deportation under tough new plans from President Donald Trump’s administration. But official guidelines released on Tuesday, show that Dreamers – young undocumented immigrants brought to the country as minors – will be excluded from the proposals. The protections afforded to them by the 2012 deferred action program implemented by President Barack Obama will remain in place.
The guidance to immigration agents unveiled by the Department of Homeland Security is part of a wider plan for immigration enforcement and border security, announced on 25 January in executive orders signed by President Donald Trump.
Trump says that the Dreamer issue was a difficult one for him to address, given his Presidential election campaign promise to crack down on the approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants believed to be in the US, while increasing national security and building a wall on the border between the US and Mexico. Officials from the Department of Homeland Security told reporters during a conference call that the agency will still prioritize undocumented immigrants considered a threat to national security or public safety.
Several of the instructions will not receive immediate implementation as they are dependent on various factors, including negotiations with other countries, a public comment period, and approval from Congress, according to officials. The new instructions include orders for the detention of immigrants awaiting a court decision on their legal status in the US.