Pres. Joe Biden and his administration ordered on Wednesday to pause some deportations for 100 days starting Friday as it reviews enforcement policies.

Pres. Joe Biden
In this screengrab, President Joe Biden speaks during the Celebrating America Primetime Special. Handout/Biden Inaugural Committee via Getty Images

Biden's new stance in immigration

Pres. Joe Biden and his administration have been very serious about their reforms in immigration. In fact, most of the executive orders that Pres. Bide signed after his inauguration as the 46th President in the U.S. focuses on immigration

On Wednesday as well, Pres. Joe Biden and his administration ordered to pause some deportations in 100 days that will begin this Jan. 22, 2021, or on Friday. This is to give time the agency concern to review its enforcement policies but there are some exemptions.

According to NBC News, acting Homeland Security Secretary David Pekoske already directed a review of immigration enforcement practices and policies. Following this, he also released a statement to confirm the action of the agency.

He said, "For 100 days, starting January 22, 2021, DHS will pause removals for certain noncitizens ordered deported to ensure we have a fair and effective immigration enforcement system focused on protecting national security, border security, and public safety."

Pekoske also wrote in a memo directing the Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other parts of DHS "to review and reset enforcement policies and set interim policies for civil enforcement while the Department develops its final priorities."

Meanwhile, the memo said that for civil enforcement, the priorities of the Department of Homeland Security will focus on things such as:

  • National security risks
  • People arrested at the border trying to illegally enter the U.S.
  • People released from prison or jails after being convicted of serious crimes

Who will be deported?

The order to pause some deportation does not apply to everyone. This does not apply to people suspected of terrorism or other national security concerns, according to the memo released by the Department of Homeland Security.

Additionally, it does not also apply to those who were not in the U.S. before Nov. 1, those who waive their right to stay, or if the acting director of ICE makes an individualized determination that removal is required.

Effects of deportation

Many rights and activist groups have been criticizing deportations in the United States. This is an issue that is widely condemned because this separated thousands of children from their families.

For a long time, some lawyers have been working to reunite families separated during the Trump administration have said they have not been able to find the parents hundreds of children.

In a report published on NBC News, lawyers said that they could not find the parents of 666 kids since October 2021.

As the new administration enters the White House, Pres. Joe Biden pledged to enforce reforms in the immigration system in the country. In fact, Biden revoked one of Trump's earliest executive orders that essentially made it a policy to act on anyone in the country illegally and opposed exemptions.

Pres. Joe Biden has pledged to restore sensible enforcement priorities and said that targeting those who have worked for the country and lived in the U.S. for decades is counterproductive.