ICE Issues Non-Enforcement Guidance to Its Lawyers
‘Trust, but micromanage’, as criminal aliens — among others — get a pass
By Andrew R. Arthur on June 28, 2021
On May 27, ICE’s Principal Legal Advisor (PLA, the agency’s general counsel) John D. Trasvina issued interim guidance to the agency’s lawyers, who represent the interests of the American people in removal cases before the nation’s immigration courts. It is a way-too-long document couched in hoary legal language, vaguely schizophrenic, and gives a pass to most criminal green card holders, among others.
Formally captioned “Interim Guidance to OPLA Attorneys Regarding Civil Immigration Enforcement and Removal Policies and Priorities”, the document aims to indoctrinate ICE’s lawyers into the new realities of immigration enforcement under the Biden administration. Trasvina’s guidance draws upon and reinforces other non-enforcement documents that have been issued by the current administration.
Those include a memorandum issued by then-Acting DHS Secretary David Pekoske on January 20, captioned "Review of and Interim Revision to Civil Immigration Enforcement and Removal Policies and Priorities” and a February 18 memo from Acting ICE Director Tae Johnson, captioned “Interim Guidance: Civil Immigration Enforcement and Removal Priorities”.
https://cis.org/Arthur/ICE-Issues-NonEnforcement-Guidance-Its-Lawyers
