New U.S. Immigration Policy Announced
The administration of President Barack Obama announces that federal officials will review separately all 300,000 cases of illegal immigrants currently threatened with deportation. Deportation is is the action a government takes when it forces an alien to leave the country and return to the place where the alien was born or had lived. According to Janet Napolitano, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, deportation cases will be ranked based on security risk. Individuals who have not committed crimes and who are not considered a threat to public safety may be allowed to stay in the United States. Federal official are to take into account whether immigrants are married to U.S. citizens and their contributions to the community.
The new policy is expected to help thousands of undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as young children and want to stay to attend college or serve in the armed forces. Critics labeled the policy change a “blanket amnesty” for large numbers of illegal immigrants. (Amnesty is forgiveness by a government for crimes against it).
Additional World Book articles:
- Citizenship and Immigration Services, United States
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement, United States
- Immigration and Naturalization Service
- Immigration Politics 2006 (special report)
- Passport to Reform: The INS and Homeland Security (special report)