The Trump administration has issued a new directive that aims to broaden U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authority to include detaining certain lawfully admitted refugees. According to the policy change, refugees who have been living in the U.S. for one year but have yet to formally obtain a green card must report to their local immigration office for a mandatory review of their case.
During the “re-vetting” process, ICE has been authorized to “maintain custody [of the interviewee] for the duration of the inspection and examination process,” an open-ended detention duration that reverses a previous requirement under the law that forced ICE to decide within 48 hours whether to release a detained refugee or initiate removal proceedings.
Under federal law, refugees may apply for a green card after one year in the U.S. If refugees who have hit that one-year mark fail to voluntarily comply with new re-screening measures, ICE has been given full authority to find, arrest and detain them for further examination of their cases. Any refugee cases that raise “red flags” during the immigration inspection may be stripped of their legal status and be subject to deportation.
Directive Signals a Broader Legal-Immigration Crackdown
This policy change is a part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to tighten legal immigration channels and stringently reexamine previously granted legal immigration status.
The directive was issued by acting ICE Director Todd Lyons and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow, who oversees the green card process. It further reverses longstanding ICE policy that treated failure to obtain a green card within one year as insufficient grounds to justify detention. Officials allege this move is meant to assess fraud concerns or national security/public safety risks.
Contact a Deportation Attorney Today
Although facing the possibility of deportation is scary, we highly advise immigrants to remain cooperative with local law officers and to proactively contact deportation attorneys.
Reeves Immigration Law Group has served immigrants and their loved ones for 40 years, obtaining success even in the most complex cases. Whether you are concerned about you and your family’s legal rights, or facing possible detainment or deportation, our team of immigration lawyers can provide expert advice on how to move forward, and are prepared to do everything in our power to fight for your rights to remain in the U.S.
Contact us today to speak with a deportation defense lawyer regarding your specific concerns. We promise to be by your side through it all because we believe in making a difference in the lives of others and our community.
