DHS awards deportation amnesty for Ethiopians
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HARDIN — The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will issue deportation relief to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants in the United States, including illegal immigrants who have lived in the United States for decades, thanks to federal immigration laws that were designed to keep the public safe from future terrorist attacks from abroad.
The DHS announced the planned relief on April 27. In addition to the 800,000 people who won deportation relief under the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which includes young illegal immigrants brought to the United States by their parents when they were under the age of 18, and more people who were granted relief under the Obama-era Secure Communities program, which allows the federal government to share information on illegal immigrants with local police, DHS said about 900,000 immigrants will be eligible for some form of relief through the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans program.
DHS has granted waivers to allow immigrants who were not directly affected by the Obama administration’s immigration policies to apply for the relief. About 400,000 immigrants may not be eligible for relief now but may be eligible in the future. DHS said it did not plan to give waivers to people currently in the United States or people who already have pending applications for citizenship.
The announcement came as the Trump administration announced plans to build a wall on the southern border with Mexico. Under current immigration laws, children born in the United States will also be eligible for deportation relief.
“All people who came to this country illegally as children are granted amnesty,” the Trump administration’s acting ICE director, Ronald D. Vitiello, said during a press call on April 28.
“If you were a child born in this country, you’re eligible for citizenship,” he said.
On an immigration reform front, the New York Times reported this week that an amendment proposed by Democrats in the