New deportation suggestion puts the focus on dangerous criminals

In Riverside, the battle against deportation has made big news. While immigration law itself is in a standstill, immigration policies are still being debated, reworked and thrown out on the table for consideration. Among them is debate regarding the current deportation and detention policies in the country, including how many people they affect and whether or not the law enforcement has upheld current policies.

With the large numbers of deportations over the last few years, many immigration activists and immigrants alike are worried for the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants currently living in America. It has been said that a number of the recent deportations have been unfair or even cruel due to the fact that a lot of deportations come from the federal government and law enforcement teaming up to send petty criminals out of the country.

In an attempt to rectify that, the Obama administration has suggested turning the focus on those who have violent criminal history. Undocumented immigrants who are arrested but have no previous criminal record or violations will be less likely to be deported for their minor crime under the revisions if they go through. Undocumented immigrants who have prior criminal history or have committed major crimes will still be considered for deportation.

However, there is always the chance of deportation for undocumented immigrants with the law the way it currently is. In order to avoid unfortunate situations involving detainment or deportation, you may wish to get into contact with an immigration attorney to start on the process for applying for citizenship.

Source: The Washington Post, “Obama administration likely to refocus deportation policy, police chiefs say,” David Nakamura, May. 13, 2014