Trump Rescinds Guidance Protecting ‘Sensitive Areas’ from Immigration Raids
The administration of newly elected United States President Donald Trump has lifted long-standing protections that prohibit raids by immigration agents on schools and hospitals, churches, and other “sensitive areas”.
Its decision on Tuesday comes as part of Trump’s efforts to fulfill a campaign pledge to start an campaign for “mass deportation”.
According to estimates from the government up to 11 million people without a passport reside within the United States, many of them are keystones in their communities and families.
For more than a decade, federal authorities have issued guidelines for not the conduct of immigration enforcement in areas like schools and medical centers, in the belief that the raids may deter individuals from seeking out the necessary services.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) introduced its policy in. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) adopted the same policy in 2013.
However, in its statement on Tuesday, the Trump administration accused this directive were intended to “thwart law enforcement” efforts.
The new directive was framed which repeals the protections as a kind of empowerment for immigration authorities.
“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” the statement stated. “The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.”
Keep reading:
- Trump’s UN Ambassador Pick Asserts Israel’s ‘Biblical Right’ to West Bank
- Who Is Mariann Edgar Budde? The Bishop Who Called on Trump to Show Compassion
- Tech Giants Unveil $500 Billion ‘Stargate’ AI Plan in the US
Trump has for a long time equated irregular migration and criminality. When he was campaigning in 2016, he frequently brought up instances like Laken Riley the 22-year-old student who was killed by an undocumented individual.
“The Democrats say, ‘Please not call them animals. They’re human. I replied”No, they’re not human beings. They’re not human. They’re animals.” the president said in April when referring to his involvement in the Riley case.
Research has repeatedly proven that immigrants without a legal status are far less guilty as native-born US citizens.
Human rights organizations have warned that the vote on Tuesday could put undocumented persons such as children into unsafe situations, and shut off from crucial services.
“This action could have devastating consequences for immigrant families and their children, including U.S. citizen children, deterring them from receiving medical attention, seeking out disaster relief, attending school, and carrying out everyday activities,” the Center for Law and Social Policy released an announcement.
Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies