Trump administration has overturned long-standing protections that restricted immigration enforcement at “sensitive areas” like schools, churches, and hospitals.
The new directive, issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents to carry out arrests in these locations, a move that has sparked widespread debate.
For over a decade, both ICE and CBP were prohibited from making arrests at sensitive sites, a policy intended to protect vulnerable individuals from the fear of detention while seeking essential services.
However, the Trump administration’s new guidelines effectively lift these restrictions, with the DHS stating that it will no longer “tie the hands” of law enforcement.
A statement from the DHS declared: “Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement and instead trusts them to use common sense.”
This shift in policy aligns with the administration’s ongoing efforts to crack down on illegal immigration.
The directive is part of a broader set of immigration changes rolled out by the Trump administration.
Another directive reinstates “expedited removal,” which allows ICE to quickly deport undocumented individuals who cannot prove continuous residence in the US for more than two years.
This measure aims to streamline the deportation process and is part of a larger crackdown on illegal immigration.