U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on Tuesday it would begin taking into account U.S. military service when deciding civil immigration enforcement proceedings against noncitizens.
The following is an extract from the Statement on the ICE website, the directive will “formalize”The practice of recognising U.S. military service (which includes the United States Army and Marine Corps), of a noncitizen, their immediate family, as a mitigation factor for enforcement decisions as a part of agency policy.
“ICE values the incredible contributions of noncitizens who have served in the U.S. military,”Statement by Tae D., acting director of ICE, “Through this directive, ICE will consider U.S. military service by a noncitizen or their immediate family members when determining whether to take civil immigration enforcement decisions against a noncitizen.”
According to the directive, the new policy will create reporting and tracking requirements in order to obtain up-to-date information on current and former U.S. military personnel who are not citizens. “respecting civil liberties and privacy interests.”
ICE concluded the statement by saying it will continue to focus the agency’s attention on the removal of noncitizens who are a threat to national security, public safety, and border security based on the Guidelines for Civil Immigration Law Enforcement.
