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ICE Says It Will ‘Delay Enforcement Actions’ Against Some Immigrants Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

TEMPORARY CHANGES

The agency has said it will “adjust” its enforcement priorities during the crisis.

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Paul J. Richards/Getty

Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced in a statement Wednesday that it would be changing how it enforces immigration policy and how it detains immigrants amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency said it would temporarily focus its efforts on “public safety risks and individuals subject to mandatory detention based on criminal grounds.” For those who did not meet that criteria, ICE said it would “exercise discretion to delay enforcement actions” until after the coronavirus “crisis” or “use alternatives to detention.” The agency also said it would not carry out enforcement operations at or near hospitals, doctor’s offices, clinics, and urgent care facilities “except in the most extraordinary of circumstances.” “Individuals should not avoid seeking medical care because they fear civil immigration enforcement,” the statement read.

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