Federal immigration officials say they will no longer halt deportations for illegal immigrants based on the prospect that pending legislation could grant them amnesty.
In a letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA), officials with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said their policy to hold off deportations of illegal immigrants due to potential amnesty legislation, known as “private immigration bills” would be ending.
“As a matter of agency practice, ICE has in the past granted a stay of removal when it received a written request for an investigative report from the Chair of the House or Senate Judiciary Committee regarding an individual for whom a private immigration bill had been introduced,” the ICE letter states. “Although it is not mandated by law or regulation, ICE routinely granted these stays of removal. The stay usually remained in place until Congress either took action on the bill or adjourned without taking action on the bill and the grace period expired.”
The letter explained that ICE would be eliminating the practice of halting deportations because of pending amnesty legislation, as it was counter to President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration enforcement.
“The stay mechanism, combined with the repeated introduction of bills, which are rarely, if ever enacted, could prevent ICE from removing aliens who fall within the enforcement priorities outlined in Executive Order 13768, Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States, including those who pose a risk to public safety or national security.”
In the past, Congressmen have introduced amnesty legislation in order to halt the deportations of thousands of illegal immigrants who could be considered impacted by the legislation.
ICE’s decision to drop the policy following Trump’s executive order prevent congressional leaders who support amnesty from indirectly meddling with deportations.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.
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