Overview:
Federal immigration authorities will be allowed to target schools and churches seeking individuals who are in the United States without legal status.
Starting Tuesday, federal immigration authorities are permitted to target schools and churches in ICE raids. This follows President Donald Trump’s decision to revoke a directive that previously barred arrests in “sensitive” areas, as authorities seek to locate individuals residing in the United States without legal status.
“This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens—including murders and rapists—who have illegally come into our country,” the statement continued. “Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.”
First enacted in 2011, the directive prohibited Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol officers from arresting suspected undocumented immigrants in a variety of locations. Schools and houses of worship were deemed off-limits, as were hospitals, funerals, weddings and public demonstrations.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said law enforcement would use a common sense approach in making the arrests.
“This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens — including murders and rapists — who have illegally come into our country,” the spokesperson said.
According to guidance from the Department of Education, there were more than 840,000 immigrant students in the United States, and more than 4.6 million English learners. Under the law, the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is required to care for unaccompanied children apprehended while crossing the border. While in care at a HHS shelter, such children are not enrolled in local schools but do receive educational services and other care from providers who run HHS shelters.
In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court found in Plyer vs. Doe that because undocumented children are illegally in the United States through no fault of their own, they are entitled to the same K–12 educational opportunities that states provide to children who are citizens or legal residents.
In reporting by ABC News, in addition to conducting immigration raids near and in schools they Homeland Security will aso conduct raids in or near courthouses.
“ICE officers or agents may conduct civil immigration enforcement actions in or near courthouses when they have credible information that leads them to believe the targeted alien(s) is or will be present at a specific location, and where such action is not precluded by laws imposed by the jurisdiction in which the enforcement action will take place,” the memo sent to ICE employees said.
There will also be a change in terminology per President Trump’s directive.
Moving forward, those they are arresting will be referred to as “alien,” as opposed to “noncitizen,” and those in the country illegally will be referred to as “illegal alien,” the memo said.
