Following President Donald Trump’s revocation of laws that previously designated schools, churches, and hospitals as off-limits for enforcement, US immigration agents now have the authority to arrest anyone at these facilities.
The policy move brings an end to more than a decade of limitations protecting these “sensitive areas.”
The Department of Homeland Security, which controls Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, announced the adjustment in a statement, emphasizing the necessity of reducing areas where people may avoid arrest.
“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to evade prosecution.
“The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense,” the statement said, as reported by the Guardian on Tuesday.
The new directive, issued by Acting DHS Secretary Benjamine Huffman, also reinstates the use of expedited removal nationwide.
Under this policy, ICE is empowered to quickly deport undocumented individuals who cannot prove they have resided in the United States continuously for more than two years.
