Trump Immigration Policy: Hire Thousands Of More Agents To Deport Millions

Under orders from President Trump, the Department of Homeland Security announced new plans Tuesday to add as many as 10,000 more agents to step up deportations and enforce immigration laws with the potential to remove undocumented immigrants for even low-level offenses, such as driving without a license.

New memos released by the department outline plans to comply with executive orders the president signed at the end of January, which are distinct from Trump's most well-known executive order restricting immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries.

The department will expand its staff, hiring 5,000 new border patrol agents immediately and reviewing plans to hire as many as 10,000 officers, as the executive order calls for. As of 2011, the agency had around 21,000 officers.

It will also speed up the deportation process for people who have been in the country for up to two years and widen the scope of infractions for which individuals will be subject to deportation.

In addition to the new hires, the DHS will revitalize a program, known as the 287(g) program, that enlists local police officers and sheriff's deputies to aid in deportation efforts. This program, once stymied under President Obama, extends the reach of Immigration and Customs Enforcement but is opposed by so-called "sanctuary cities."

The memos also expand the group of immigrants who can face expedited deportation. Previously, only individuals who had been in the country for less than two weeks and were within 100 miles of the border could face this hastened process; now, undocumented immigrants anywhere in the U.S. whom agents believe have been in the country for less than two years could face rapid removal.

One of the biggest changes from Obama-era immigration policy is that there will not be classes of undocumented immigrants that are deemed low-priority. Obama had directed Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to focus on undocumented immigrants who committed serious crimes.

Related Video: NY AG Watching Trump Very Closely

"ICE will not exempt classes or categories of [removable] aliens from potential enforcement," the DHS said in a statement. "All of those in violation of the immigration laws may be subject to immigration arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States."

This includes, the department notes, immigrants driving without a license.

The memo also notes that undocumented immigrants will be a priority if they have been convicted of a public criminal offense, charged with a criminal offense or have abused programs "related to receipt of public benefits." It also allows agents to prioritize a deportation if, in their judgment, an immigrant poses a risk to public safety or national security.

"These actions represent a terrifying shift in our nation’s immigration policy, and they fly in the face of our most fundamental American values," Rep. Elijah Cummings, a Democrat from Maryland, said in a statement. "The President’s actions represent a dangerous approach to immigration that will break up families, incite fear, and threaten the public safety of our communities by driving some of our most vulnerable populations into the shadows."

He continued: "This is an inhumane, irresponsible, and unacceptable approach to immigration enforcement. We must not let mass deportation policies become our new normal."

"The president is empowering DHS to carry out the immigration laws already on the books," said White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer at the the daily press briefing. He denied claims that "mass deportation" was part of the administration's plans.

The New York Times has an excellent and helpful graphic showing exactly what these policies could mean. Based on some of the president's past statements, the DHS could plan to deport a couple million immigrants in a short time period, which may include even some immigrants who came here legally. It may also may instead focus on a smaller group of undocumented immigrants.

Photo credit: Department of Homeland Security