Some Caribbean nationals facing deportation and other actions from law enforcement in the United States are getting a reprieve - for now - after the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agreed to “temporarily” scale down those processes as the country battles the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Beginning Mar. 18, ICE said it will only deport unlawful immigrants convicted of crimes or who pose a danger to society.
The decision is part of a plan to cut the volume of deportees to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 to immigrants, the public and ICE agents.
“To ensure the welfare and safety of the general public as well as officers and agents in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will temporarily adjust its enforcement posture,” a posting on ICE’s website stated. “… ICE’s highest priorities are to promote life-saving and public safety activities.
“ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) will focus enforcement on public safety risks and individuals subject to mandatory detention based on criminal grounds. For those individuals who do not fall into those categories, ERO will exercise discretion to delay enforcement actions until after the crisis or utilize alternatives to detention, as appropriate,” the agency added.
According to ICE, it will also “temporarily permit the filing of Form I-246, ‘Application for Stay of Deportation or Removal’, through the mail accompanied by money orders, certified funds, or requests for fee waivers only.”
TARGETS
Currently ICE, has 37,000 immigrants in its custody across the U.S. Hundreds are Caribbean nationals. More than half of those are believed to have a criminal background, although there is uncertainty how many have committed serious crimes.
However, ICE said it would continue to investigate immigration cases and enforce the laws. Among the areas to still receive the agency’s attention are “child exploitation, gangs, narcotics trafficking, human trafficking, human smuggling,” ICE noted.
ICE also said it “will not carry out enforcement operations at or near health care facilities, such as hospitals, doctors' offices, accredited health clinics, and emergent or urgent care facilities, except in the most extraordinary of circumstances.”
That will enable undocumented immigrants to seek medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic without being arrested.
“Individuals should not avoid seeking medical care because they fear civil immigration enforcement,” ICE noted.
TIMELINE
ICE said it has also revised the timeline for aliens to report for their initial check-in with local field offices. That means some undocumented immigrants will be allowed 60 days after they were released to report. That matter has been a cause for concern to several areas in the U.S., including the City of Miramar, Florida, home to a large Caribbean community. Caribbean American Mayor Wayne Messam last month wrote to ICE asking for suspension of the agency’s appointments in the South Florida city due to the the virus.
“In light of the rapid global spread of COVID-19, individuals that report to immigration detention facilities under the custody of ICE are at risk for an outbreak,” Messam.
Through Mar. 24, ICE had not confirmed any case of COVID-19 infection among its detainees.
