The Department of Homeland Security is implementing a new policy Tuesday that allows Customs and Immigration Enforcement officers to deport illegal aliens living inside the United States within two years.
"Today, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin K. McAleenan announced a new designation of aliens subject to expedited removal that applies to certain aliens encountered anywhere in the country within two years of illegal entry. Use of expedited removal pursuant to the new designation will help alleviate some of the burden and capacity issues currently faced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) by allowing DHS to more quickly remove certain aliens encountered in the interior," DHS released Tuesday morning in a statement.
According to McAleenan, Congress as already allocated the authority for DHS to move forward.
“The new designation adds one more tool for DHS—utilizing specific authority from Congress—to confront the ongoing security and humanitarian crisis on the Southwest border and throughout the country,” McAleenan said. “We are past the breaking point and must take all appropriate action to enforce the law, along the U.S. borders and within the country’s interior. This designation makes it clear that if you have no legal right to be here, we will remove you.”
Meanwhile, the backlog of nearly one million asylum and other claims at the border continues as immigration judges work overtime to process cases. DHS is again calling on Congress to change U.S. immigration law loopholes which embolden rampant fraud.
"While DHS initiatives are making an impact and border enforcement actions have decreased, the situation at the Southwest border remains untenable. In order to solve this crisis and create lasting change at the border, Congress must address the vulnerabilities in our legal framework," DHS states. "In the meantime, the Department must utilize the tools expressly provided by Congress to continue confronting the crisis."