The American Immigration Council joined the National Immigrant Justice Center and other organizations in urging Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Tae Johnson, and Domestic Policy Council Deputy Director Esther Olavarria to implement a file review process, initiated by ICE, to reconsider the custody determination for every person currently in ICE custody.
The letter argues that many of the approximately 14,000 people currently in ICE detention do not fall within the interim enforcement priorities outlined in the January 20th memo issued by DHS Acting Secretary David Pekoske and therefore should be released. The letter also asks that ICE prioritize the release of individuals who face a heightened risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19 due to age or a preexisting condition as defined by the Centers for Disease Control, transgender people, HIV+ people, and all families and children.
