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Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020

Did US immigration agents recently gain significantly broader deportation authority?

Austin Tannenbaum, Gigafact
yes

Last year, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it would expand its “expedited removal” policy to include anyone in the U.S. who cannot prove a legal right of residence and has been in the country less than two years. Previously, the rule applied only to those who entered the country by sea or those who entered by land who were encountered within 100 miles of the border and had been in the country less than 14 days.

Under expedited removal, individuals who cannot immediately provide documentation may be detained, interviewed, and, barring a finding of a credible fear of returning to their home country, deported in as little as one day without a hearing. After withstanding legal challenges, the expanded scope may now be used by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents who complete an online training.

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