The Trump administration has directed federal officers to identify immigrants who can be rapidly removed from the United States without a court hearing as part of its quest to boost deportations, according to an internal memorandum viewed by The Washington Post. The memo circulated at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Feb. 18 details the agency’s latest strategy to accelerate removals and identifies their potential targets. More than 1 million migrants who were admitted to the United States through an array of initiatives during President Joe Biden’s administration could be flagged for “expedited removal” proceedings, though officials have instructed immigration officers to pore over the nearly 8 million deportation cases on their dockets to find more.
Migrants could be speedily deported if they crossed the border illegally, were waved into the country on parole or with a notice to report to immigration authorities, and have not applied for asylum, the memo said. Immigrants who arrived legally through a port of entry also may be targeted if they lacked immigration documents or misrepresented themselves, the memo said.
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