Release Date: June 15, 2012
WASHINGTON— Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today announced that effective immediately, certain young people who were brought to the United States as young children, do not present a risk to national security or public safety, and meet several key criteria will be considered for relief from removal from the country or from entering into removal proceedings. Those who demonstrate that they meet the criteria will be eligible to receive deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewal, and will be eligible to apply for work authorization.
“Our nation’s immigration laws must be enforced in a firm and sensible manner,” said Secretary Napolitano. “But they are not designed to be blindly enforced without consideration given to the individual circumstances of each case. Nor are they designed to remove productive young people to countries where they may not have lived or even speak the language. Discretion, which is used in so many other areas, is especially justified here.”
DHS continues to focus its enforcement resources on the removal of individuals who pose a national security or public safety risk, including immigrants convicted of crimes, violent criminals, felons, and repeat immigration law offenders. Today’s action further enhances the Department’s ability to focus on these priority removals.
Under this directive, individuals who demonstrate that they meet the following criteria will be eligible for an exercise of discretion, specifically deferred action, on a case by case basis:
- Came to the United States under the age of sixteen;
- Have continuously resided in the United States for a least five years preceding the date of this memorandum and are present in the United States on the date of this memorandum;
- Are currently in school, have graduated from high school, have obtained a general education development certificate, or are honorably discharged veterans of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States;
- Have not been convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, multiple misdemeanor offenses, or otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety;
- Are not above the age of thirty.
Only those individuals who can prove through verifiable documentation that they meet these criteria will be eligible for deferred action. Individuals will not be eligible if they are not currently in the United States and cannot prove that they have been physically present in the United States for a period of not less than 5 years immediately preceding today’s date. Deferred action requests are decided on a case-by-case basis. DHS cannot provide any assurance that all such requests will be granted. The use of prosecutorial discretion confers no substantive right, immigration status, or pathway to citizenship. Only the Congress, acting through its legislative authority, can confer these rights.
For individuals who are in removal proceedings and have already been identified as meeting the eligibility criteria and have been offered an exercise of discretion as part of ICE’s ongoing case-by-case review, ICE will immediately begin to offer them deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewal.
“1. With respect to individuals who are encountered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS):
- With respect to individuals who meet the above criteria, ICE and CBP should immediately exercise their discretion, on an individual basis, in order to prevent low priority individuals from being placed into removal proceedings or removed from the United States.
- USCIS is instructed to implement this memorandum consistent with its existing guidance regarding the issuance of notices to appear.
2. With respect to individuals who are in removal proceedings but not yet subject to a final order of removal, and who meet the above criteria:
- ICE should exercise prosecutorial discretion, on an individual basis, for individuals who meet the above criteria by deferring action for a period of two years, subject to renewal, in order to prevent low priority individuals from being removed from the United States.
- ICE is instructed to use its Office of the Public Advocate to permit individuals who believe they meet the above criteria to identify themselves through a clear and efficient process.
- ICE is directed to begin implementing this process within 60 days of the date of this memorandum.
- ICE is also instructed to immediately begin the process of deferring action against individuals who meet the above criteria whose cases have already been identified through the ongoing review of pending cases before the Executive Office for Immigration Review.
3. With respect to the individuals who are not currently in removal proceedings and meet the above criteria, and pass a background check:
- USCIS should establish a clear and efficient process for exercising prosecutorial discretion, on an individual basis, by deferring action against individuals who meet the above criteria and are at least 15 years old, for a period oftwo years, subject to renewal, in order to prevent low priority individuals from being placed into removal proceedings or removed from the United States.
- The USCIS process shall also be available to individuals subject to a final order of removal regardless of their age.
- USCIS is directed to begin implementing this process within 60 days of the date of this memorandum. For individuals who are granted deferred action by either ICE or USCIS, USCIS shall accept applications to determine whether these individuals qualify for work authorization during this period of deferred action.
This memorandum confers no substantive right, immigration status or pathway to citizenship. Only the Congress, acting through its legislative authority, can confer these rights. It remains for the executive branch, however, to set forth policy for the exercise ofdiscretion within the framework of the existing law. I have done so here.”
La Secretaria Napolitano Anuncia Proceso De Acción Diferida Para Jóvenes Que Sean De Baja Prioridad Para La Aplicación De La Ley
15 de junio, 2012
Contacto: Oficina de Prensa del DHS, (202) 282-8010
WASHINGTON— La Secretaria de Seguridad Nacional, Janet Napolitano, anunció hoy que con vigencia inmediata, ciertos jóvenes que entraron en los Estados Unidos siendo niños jóvenes, que no presentan un riesgo para la seguridad nacional ni para la seguridad pública y que cumplen con varios criterios clave serán considerados para recibir alivio contra la deportación o contra el inicio del proceso de deportación. Aquéllos que demuestren que cumplen con los criterios serán elegibles para recibir la acción diferida durante un período de dos años, sujeto a renovación, y serán elegibles para solicitar la autorización de empleo.
“Las leyes de inmigración de nuestro país deben hacerse cumplir de una manera firme y sensata”, comentó la Secretaria Napolitano. “Pero no están diseñadas para hacerse cumplir ciegamente sin tener en cuenta las circunstancias individuales de cada caso. Ni están diseñadas para deportar a jóvenes productivos a países donde puede que no hayan vivido nunca o que ni siquiera hablen el idioma. En estos casos, la discreción, la cual se utiliza en tantas otras áreas, está especialmente justificada”.
El DHS continúa centrando sus recursos de aplicación de la ley en la deportación de individuos que presentan un peligro para la seguridad nacional o la seguridad pública, incluidos inmigrantes condenados por delitos, criminales violentos, delincuentes y transgresores reincidentes de la ley de inmigración. La acción de hoy mejora aún más la capacidad del Departamento para centrarse en estas deportaciones de máxima prioridad.
Bajo esta directiva, los individuos que demuestren que cumplen con los siguientes criterios serán elegibles para el ejercicio de la discreción, específicamente la acción diferida, considerado caso por caso:
1.) vino a los Estados Unidos siendo menor de dieciséis años de edad;
2.) ha residido ininterrumpidamente en los Estados Unidos durante al menos cinco años antes de la fecha de este memorándum y está presente en los Estados Unidos en la fecha de este memorándum;
3.) está asistiendo actualmente a la escuela, se ha graduado de la enseñanza secundaria, ha obtenido un certificado de desarrollo de educación general, o es un veterano que ha sido dado de alta con honores de los Guardacostas o las Fuerzas Armadas de los Estados Unidos;
4.) no ha sido condenado por un delito mayor, un delito menor significativo, múltiples delitos menores ni representa una amenaza para la seguridad nacional o la seguridad pública;
5.) no es mayor de treinta años de edad.
Sólo aquellos individuos que puedan demostrar mediante documentación verificable que cumplen con estos criterios serán elegibles para la acción diferida. Los individuos no serán elegibles si no se encuentran actualmente en los Estados Unidos y no pueden probar que han estado presentes físicamente en los Estados Unidos durante un período no inferior a 5 años inmediatamente anterior a la fecha de hoy. Las solicitudes de acción diferida se decidirán individualmente caso por caso. El DHS no puede dar ninguna garantía de que dichas solicitudes sean concedidas. El uso de la discreción procesal no otorga ningún derecho fundamental, estatus migratorio ni camino hacia la ciudadanía. Solo el Congreso, actuando a través de su autoridad legislativa, puede otorgar estos derechos.
Aunque esta guía entra en vigor inmediatamente, se espera que USCIS e ICE comiencen la implementación del proceso de solicitud en un plazo de sesenta días. Mientras tanto, los individuos que quieran más información sobre la nueva política deberán visitar la página web de USCIS (en www.uscis.gov), la página web de ICE (en www.ice.gov) o la página web del DHS (en www.dhs.gov). Comenzando el lunes, los individuos podrán llamar también a la línea de acceso directo de USCIS (al [insert number]) o a la línea de acceso directo de ICE (al [insert number]) durante el horario de trabajo si tienen preguntas o para pedir más información sobre el proceso próximo.
A los individuos que ya estén en el proceso de deportación y se haya demostrado que cumplen con los criterios de elegibilidad y se les haya ofrecido el ejercicio de la discreción como parte de la revisión individual en curso de casos de ICE, ICE comenzará a ofrecerles inmediatamente la acción diferida durante un período de dos años, sujeto a renovación.
