Trump officials move to quickly expel migrants temporarily authorized by Biden

The Trump administration is giving Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials the authority to quickly expel migrants who were temporarily allowed to enter the country under Biden-era programs, according to an internal government memo obtained by the New York Times.

The memo, signed Thursday evening by the acting head of the Department of Homeland Security, offers ICE officials a road map for how to use broad powers that have long been reserved only for encounters at the southern border to quickly expel migrants. It also appears to give authorities the ability to expel migrants under two major Biden-era programs that have allowed more than 1 million people to temporarily enter the country.

These programs – an app called CBP One that migrants could use to try to schedule appointments to enter the United States, and an initiative that allowed some migrants fleeing Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti – were mainstays key to the Biden administration’s efforts to deter illegal entries by allowing certain legal avenues. Immigrant advocates also worry that the memo could apply to Afghan and Ukrainian immigrants brought to the United States under separate programs.

The decision indicates that President Trump will attempt to use every facet of the immigration enforcement apparatus to crack down on a system that he has long said has been abused, and that he intends to target not only those who smuggled across the border, but even those who followed. previously authorized entry routes.

It is also sure to raise fears among a large portion of immigrants, many of whom fled desperate conditions, thought they were in the country legally and may be afraid of returning to their often dangerous home countries.

Former President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s two signature programs have faced sharp criticism from Republicans, including Trump administration officials, as a way to facilitate illegal immigration under the cover of of a government program. Migrants received a grant allowing them to stay in the country for up to two years under a temporary legal status known as “parole.” The memo appears to authorize their deportation regardless of whether they have reached the end of their legal status or still have time remaining.