Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) John Morton announced standardized Memorandums of Agreement (MOAs) with 67 state and local law enforcement agencies to participate in 287(g) partnerships by prioritizing criminal aliens who are a threat to local communities.
The administration had previously suspended the program, which critics say was mismanaged and allowed racial profiling and discrimination. Before it was suspended, there had been 66 local and state agencies participating.
Immigration advocacy groups were quick to respond to the ICE announcement. From Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum, a non-partisan, non-profit pro-immigrant advocacy organization in Washington:
“Expanding misguided and ineffective immigration enforcement program like the 287 (g) program does not bring us closer to an immigration system that works. Succumbing to the siren call of an enforcement-only approach will not solve the immigration problem once and for all. Only comprehensive reform of our immigration system will actually work to reduce illegal immigration and get immigrants out of the shadows and into the system, making it easier to weed out those who wish to do us harm and ending the fear and exploitation of life at the fringe.”