Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is going through a series of profound transformations that could change the way they interact with our community. Amidst resignations of high-ranking officials and new rules to accelerate court cases, it is essential that you stay informed about what is happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here we tell you the most important points in a simple way:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. ICE director resigns after heavy criticism<\/strong> Todd Lyons, who was serving as acting director of ICE, submitted his resignation this Monday. His departure occurs at a time of high tension and following a “wave of criticism” for the way the agency has handled its operations recently. Although exact details of his departure have not been given, the leadership change happens as immigration detentions reach their highest levels since the current offensive began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Body cameras and better training for agents<\/strong> Due to recent shootings involving ICE agents in Texas and Maine, authorities are seeking greater transparency. Tom Homan announced that how new agents are recruited and trained will be thoroughly reviewed. Additionally, Homan has publicly stated that the use of body cameras (the ones officers wear on their uniforms) is the way forward to avoid contradictory versions when a tragedy occurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Operations focused on the Haitian community<\/strong> If you have relatives or acquaintances from Haiti, it is important they know that ICE is preparing specific operations to detain people of this nationality. This is because the TPS (Temporary Protected Status) benefit for Haitians is about to end, and the government has been given the green light to terminate this program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Asylum cases: now they will go straight to the judge<\/strong> An operational change that interests you if you have a pending asylum process is that USCIS (the agency that processes permits and visas) can now skip the initial interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n