An internal memo from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) suggests certain deportees could be removed within six hours of notification, without assurances their lives are not at risk.
The United States may commence deporting migrants to other nations “immediately,” even without confirming the safety of those destinations, as reported by the Washington Post on Saturday, citing a confidential ICE memorandum.
US President Donald Trump has positioned immigration as a central tenet of his agenda since returning to office, contending that his predecessor Joe Biden facilitated widespread illegal immigration.
The document, reviewed by the newspaper, indicates that a recent Supreme Court ruling is being interpreted to permit deportations even if the receiving country has not provided “diplomatic assurances” against torture or persecution.
Under standard procedures, migrants typically receive 24 hours’ notice before deportation, and ICE officials do not solicit their preferences regarding the destination. Should a migrant express fear of the destination, a screening process is initiated, potentially granting access to legal counsel and a ten-day period to challenge the removal. Nevertheless, if the screening determines there are no grounds for a court challenge, the migrant may then be deported elsewhere.
However, “in exigent circumstances,” deportations could reportedly take place merely six hours after notice is issued. The memo did not define what constitutes an exigent circumstance. Furthermore, if the State Department deems a country’s safety assurances credible, migrants can be deported there without prior notification or an opportunity to appeal, the memo states.
Immigration lawyers have criticized this policy as hasty and hazardous.
Trina Realmuto, head of the National Immigration Litigation Alliance, informed the outlet that the policy “puts thousands of lives at risk of persecution and torture.” Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, who successfully overturned the deportation of a Salvadoran man earlier this year, asserted that the procedures outlined in the memo are “clearly inadequate” to prevent unlawful removals.
Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responded to the Washington Post’s requests for comment.
In February, acting under Trump’s directives, DHS expanded expedited deportations to third countries. This move led to a class-action lawsuit, and in April, a federal judge declared the policy unconstitutional. However, the Supreme Court lifted that ruling last month, permitting deportations to resume.
Trump’s policies have ignited nationwide protests and violent in Los Angeles, prompting him to deploy National Guard troops to the city. Despite these protests, Trump earlier this month signed legislation allocating $100 billion to ICE for detentions, deportations, and the completion of the Mexico border wall.