The Obama administration has a reputation for being tough on immigration law and deportation policies, but a scheduled internal review of immigration enforcement has some concerned that that this would lead to deeper cuts in enforcement and may suspend all deportations.
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The White House announced at the president’s request that they will be reviewing enforcement policies after meeting with immigrant and Latino advocacy groups. The administration has been called “too tough” on immigrants and not a practical means of supporting immigrants and their families.
Numbers show that President Obama has had the largest number of deportations during his administration, but “The evidence reveals that the administration has carried out a dramatic nullification of federal law.” With pressure from the advocacy groups, the administration will most likely be cutting deportations, but other groups wonder if there will be any remaining rules to enforce.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, there were over 368,644 removals carried out in 2013. The majority of those deported were immigrants caught crossing the border or immigrants convicted of a crime. The Federation for American Immigration Reform is concerned about the new DHS review that may “chip away at what little is left of immigration enforcement.”
There are no specific provisions that explain in detail what will be done with the current practices, but some groups are hoping that deportations will be suspended all together. Lawmakers hope that a new look at provisions would help “dial back the deportation of non-criminals and relieve” family separations.
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