TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - The Department of Homeland Security has released it's plansfor tougher immigration enforcement.
It calls for:
-Priority enforcement for undocumented immigrants who are charged, convicted, or suspected of a crime.
-Fast tracks deportation for immigrants who have been in the U-S less than two years.
-Calls for more detention space so immigrants will not be released pending deportation hearings.
-Plans to deport Mexicans and non-Mexicans to Mexico.
-Plans for a border wall.
-Hires 5000 Border Patrol and 10,000 ICE agents.
-Calls for local police to enforce immigration law.
The order is designed to make immigration enforcement tougher, devote more people to rounding up undocumented immigrants and devote more space to detaining them.
Immigration attorney Maurice Goldman says, “With, of course, social media now, there's a whole lot more fear that spreads a lot faster."
Goldman says he's been hearing from a lot of clients worried about where they stand.
The order makes it easier to deport someone who has been in the U-S less than two years, so he want to know if the government will expect clients to carry proof of their time in the country.
“Make sure you have your documents in order. Make sure you have the phone number or either agencies that help immigrants or lawyers or whoever you know that you can trust and help you if you're undocumented right now."
Goldman says immigration detention is already over capacity and more enforcement could make that many times worse. He wonders whether immigrants would be allowed out on bond while they wait for hearings.
Richard Estrada, State Director ofLULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizensis pleased the order retains protections for Dreamers, undocumented immigrants brought here as young children but he's concerned about the order’s impact on all immigrants.
“It does not describe exactly how they plan to run it for all immigrants and we have more immigrants besides Latin American immigrants that need to be educated properly and have the correct policy so they can know what the procedure will be for them."
Mo Goldman says says he and other attorneys just talked with DHS in a meeting already scheduled before the order came out and that everyone seems to be trying to figure out how the order will translate from paper to real life.
