In one of its first major public displays of changes in how immigration
policies are enforced in the U.S., the Obama administration is
recommending the closure of 1,600 deportation cases. In mid-January, the
president’s administration recommended that deportation proceedings for
1,600 undocumented immigrants in Denver and Baltimore who are not
considered a national security or public threat be closed. The
administration made these recommendations after a “deep dive” review of
nearly 12,000 pending deportation cases in the two cities.
While preliminary data from this review have not yet been published, a
Homeland Security official has stated that the recommendation to close
these cases is contingent on these immigrants being cleared through one
more extensive background check.
The review of the cases in Denver and Baltimore are part of a major new initiative to review 300,000 pending deportation cases.
