New Rules, Fresh Concern On Immigration (Joshua Johnson, 1A)

The president’s promise to get tough on immigration has taken an important step forward with the drafting and approval of new guidelines to give federal authorities more power to detain and deport undocumented immigrants.

Late last week, Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly signed a pair of memos outlining plans for the agency to hire thousands of additional enforcement agents, expand the pool of immigrants who are prioritized for removal, speed up deportation hearings and enlist local law enforcement to help make arrests. The new directives would supersede nearly all of those issued under previous administrations.

A White House official says the memos are drafts that are under review by the White House Counsel’s Office, which is seeking some changes. Regardless, the move has raised many questions and concerns about the immediate fate of millions of people who are in the country but are undocumented.
Interview:
http://the1a.org/shows/2017-02-21/new-rules-fresh-concern-on-immigration