In an effort to significantly increase deportations, the Trump administration has empowered federal immigration officials to assess whether migrants who entered the country through former President Joe Biden’s “parole” programs should forfeit their temporary legal status, as outlined in a memo released on Thursday.
The memo from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security outlines a streamlined deportation procedure that was reinstated by the Trump administration earlier this week, indicating that officials should prioritize migrants who did not apply for asylum within one year of their arrival in the United States.
Under the Biden administration, expedited removal was restricted to individuals apprehended within 14 days of their entry and within 100 miles of the border. The Trump administration has broadened this policy to apply nationwide, encompassing anyone who entered the country within the past two years.
Upon returning to the White House on Monday, President Trump signed several executive orders aimed at curbing illegal immigration, potentially paving the way for the deportation of millions of undocumented individuals.
The Republican president argues that these actions are essential following the influx of immigrants into the U.S. during Biden’s tenure, both through illegal crossings and legal entry programs.
Conversely, some Democrats and advocacy groups contend that Trump’s stringent enforcement measures may unjustly target non-criminals, disrupt business operations, and separate families. The immigrant rights organization Make the Road New York filed a lawsuit on Wednesday to challenge the Trump administration’s expansion of the expedited deportation process.
