Deaths In Immigration Detention Are At A Record. ICE Can Prevent The Next One

 

By: Katy Murdza - www.immigrationimpact.com

Three men died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody on within a week of each other. Two of the men died in hospitals after being diagnosed with COVID-19, while the other died in his cell of a massive intercranial hemorrhage. These tragedies increased the total deaths in ICE custody this fiscal year to 18, the highest number since 2006. Many—if not all—of the deaths that occur in ICE custody are avoidable.

More than twice as many people have died in ICE custody this year than last year. Unfortunately, with 1,084 active COVID-19 cases in ICE detention, that number will likely increase before the fiscal year ends in September. The number of deaths is especially alarming considering the average number of people detained has been significantly lower this year than in recent years.

An unidentified 70-year-old Costa Rican man died in ICE custody this week. He is the second person to die after testing positive for COVID-19 and being transferred to a hospital from Stewart Detention Center in Georgia. A total of 5 people have died after testing positive for COVID-19 in ICE custody, and at least one more soon after release.

More information: https://www.inmigracionyvisas.com/a4906-Deaths-in-Immigration-Detention-a-Record.html

USCIS To End Certain Categorical Parole Programs

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced its intention to terminate two categorical parole programs, consistent with Executive Order (E.O.) 13767, Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements, and to better ensure that parole is used only on a case-by-case basis, consistent with the law. Parole is a process that allows foreign nationals to temporarily enter or remain in the United States, including those who are otherwise inadmissible. The programs to be terminated are the Haitian Family Reunification Parole program and the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole program.

Under both of these categorical parole programs, individuals with approved family-based immigrant petitions have been authorized to enter and work in the United States while waiting for their green card to become available. The decision to end these parole programs ends the expedited processing that was made available to these populations in a categorical fashion. It follows an extensive review to better ensure that parole authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act is exercised on a case-by-case basis when there is a significant public benefit or urgent humanitarian reason. Categorical parole refers to programs designed to consider parole for entire groups of individuals based on pre-set criteria.

“Under these categorical parole programs, individuals have been able to skip the line and bypass the proper channels established by Congress. With the termination of these programs, these individuals will no longer be permitted to wait in the United States for their family-based green card to become available, consistent with the rules that apply to the rest of the world,” said USCIS Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli. “Parole is to be used on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. USCIS is committed to exercising this limited authority in a manner that preserves the integrity of our immigration system and does not encourage aliens to unlawfully enter the United States.”

While USCIS begins the process to terminate the Haitian Family Reunification Parole and Filipino World War II Veterans Parole programs, the agency continues to review all remaining categorical parole programs. USCIS will not terminate any program until we complete required administrative changes to Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, and the form is approved for public use. The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) process will provide notice to the affected individuals, explain the reasons USCIS is taking action, and provide public comment periods on the termination of these programs.

Current parolees will maintain their current period of parole until its expiration, unless it is otherwise terminated. USCIS will also process all pending cases to completion. In addition, parolees who have not adjusted status or been admitted may request parole under the non-categorical process by filing Form I-131, in accordance with the form instructions. Additional information on applying for non-categorical parole is available on the Humanitarian or Significant Public Benefit Parole for Individuals Outside the United States page.

 

Source: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)  

https://www.inmigracionyvisas.com/a4372-USCIS-To-End-Certain-Categorical-Parole-Programs.html