Visa Lawyer Blog
I know that the title of this posting sounds like a bad joke, but it is true. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will roll out “Operation Scheduled Departure,” a pilot program created to encourage people who have outstanding deportation orders to turn themselves in.
San Diego and four other U.S. cities will participate in the program, which is set to end Aug. 22. The other locations are Santa Ana; Chicago; Phoenix, Ariz.; and Charlotte, N.C.
What is the likelihood of wanted illegal immigrants to turn themselves in remains to be seen. I am very skeptical about all this. Currently, there are thousands of inmates sitting in immigration jails awaiting removal. These are non criminal individuals that overstayed their visas or legal entry status. Why do ICE officials keep them locked up awaiting removal, waisting tax payers money? I am really curious to see how this program will work in practice.
Read more about the Pilot program