ICE Changes Detention Procedures for Asylum Seekers
December 29th, 2009 by Eric J. Ramos
ICE Changes Detention Procedures for Asylum Seekers
On December 16, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released a statement announcing a change affecting those coming to the U.S. seeking asylum. ICE will no longer detain asylum seekers who have a credible fear of persecution or torture in their home country if the asylum seekers can establish their identity and do not present a flight risk or a threat to public safety.
The change is a result of efforts to reform ICE detention policies and focus on criminals and those who pose a threat of violence. “These new parole procedures for asylum seekers will help ICE focus both on protecting against major threats to public safety and implementing common-sense detention policies,” said ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton. All arriving asylum seekers are considered eligible for parole, which is a dramatic shift from the previous policy requiring asylum seekers to make requests for parole in writing.
The new guidelines will take effect on January 4, 2010.
