John Kelly, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, issued two memos on Tuesday. These ordered immigration and border patrol officers to deport almost any undocumented immigrants they come across as quickly as possible. There were a handful of exceptions, such as minors.
Undocumented immigrants convicted of criminal offenses remain the main priority but anyone charged, or who may be charged, with offenses is now also a principal target. The new orders also remove the protections offered to undocumented immigrants not tied to criminal offenses, proffered by the Obama administration, which deemed them to be low priorities. The Department of Homeland Security says that categories or classes of undocumented immigrants will no longer be exempt from potential enforcement, with limited exceptions.
Kelly also ordered immediate action on the planning and construction of a wall between the US and Mexico, one of President Donald Trump’s key promises in his election campaign last year. Also, Kelly ordered the hiring of a further 10,000 officers for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and 5000 for Customs and Border Protection. The memos came ahead of meetings being held this week between Kelly and Rex Tillerson, the US Secretary of State, with Enrique Pena Nieto, the President of Mexico and many of his ministers.
Kelly says the new rules will make it simpler for officials with Customs and Border Patrol and ICE to expel undocumented immigrants automatically, and that the government has previously been overburdened by mass detentions that need judicial review.