patrick.net

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/may/8/dhs-speeds-high-profile-deportations-democrats-cal/

Top Democrats accused Homeland Security of trying to punish illegal immigrants by refusing to halt their deportations even as Congress debates bills to grant them special legal status, saying Monday that it was the latest “mean-spirited” move by the Trump administration to upend longstanding protections.

The move appears to be aimed at cutting off a method Democrats could have used to protect a select group of high-profile migrants from ouster.

For years, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had a policy of holding off on deportation of someone if members of Congress had written legislation granting them legal status — something known as a “private bill.”

But Thomas Homan, acting director at ICE, notified Congress late last week that his agency will no longer automatically follow that practice, saying it would run afoul of President Trump's new executive order pushing deportation for criminals and public safety risks.

ICE will now only stop a deportation if it gets a specific request from the chairman of the Judiciary Committee or the relevant subcommittee in either the House or Senate. And ICE will only allow one stay, Mr. Homan said, meaning that illegal immigrants can't be protected indefinitely by congressional request.

#ice #trump #maga #illegalaliens