Police Chief Applauds Decision
WASHINGTON, D.C. — This afternoon the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced updated immigration enforcement priorities.
Safety and security remain top priorities. “We will prioritize for apprehension and removal noncitizens who are a threat to our national security, public safety, and border security,” the memo states.
The guidelines shift how the department will employ prosecutorial discretion, moving away from rigid enforcement categories in favor of individualized assessments. Unauthorized status, on its own, will not be the basis for enforcement actions, according to the memo.
“In the Biden administration’s new enforcement priorities, Secretary Mayorkas acknowledges that millions of undocumented immigrants are contributing community members and essential workers,” said Retired Police Chief Ramon Batista of Mesa, Arizona. “In prioritizing the deportation of noncitizens who threaten public safety or national security, DHS is demonstrating its commitment to building trust with immigrant communities. I applaud this smart, compassionate decision.”
“DHS is right to prioritize valuable law enforcement resources and focus on risks to national security and public safety,” said Ali Noorani, President and CEO of the National Immigration Forum. “These priorities also underscore DHS’s step away from enforcement based solely on unauthorized status, as we saw during the previous administration.
“By emphasizing public safety threats rather than contributing members of our communities, these priorities will benefit all Americans.”