Contact: B. Loewe, NDLON, 773.791.4668, bloewe {at} ndlon.org
Delay of Deportation Review Sparks New Inquiry into Obama Administration Deportation Policy:
FOIA demands transparency to restore widening trust gap:
Is Deportation Quota Behind Agency’s Shift Toward More Drastic Approach?
Today, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) and the Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic at the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law held a national press briefing announcing an inquiry into the administration’s deportation policy which has come under fire in recent months.
“We have been left to speculate about the Obama Administration’s motivations for delaying review of its deportation policy that, by its own admission, is inhumane. Today we will help the President advance the review and live up to his promise of having a transparent administration by calling for disclosure of documents owed to the public related to the existence of an apparent deportation quota,” said Chris Newman, Legal Director for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.
Specifically, presenters explained why the Freedom of Information Act requires the Obama Administration to make available to the public all files related to the existence and role of a deportation quota at Immigration and Customs Enforcement and “any and all records used to prepare DHS/ICE or White House staff for press briefings on the Administration’s deportation policy” among other documents requested.
Legal experts, advocates, and those impacted by current policy will discuss the White House delay of its own review of admittedly inhumane deportation practices, the sea change of more than 110 local jurisdictions who are moving to fill the vacuum by limiting ICE’s overreaching, burdensome, and unconstitutional hold requests, as well as the increase they’ve witnessed in aggressive and retaliatory tactics by the administration’s enforcement agency.
The groups’ whose previous FOIA’s exposed the overreaching nature of the Se Communities program and prompted an Inspector General investigation, say that the Administration has a crisis of confidence with immigrant communities who, unlike the nativist GOP’s straw man talking points of distrust used to obstruct reform, have concerns based in a reality of harsh enforcement.
Angela Chan, Policy Director for Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus added, “Across the country we’ve been putting the brakes on the President’s out-of-control deportation programs and having great effect in protecting immigrant families. But ICE is adapting its tactics to pursue its self-imposed quota. Rather than playing cat and mouse, the administration should end programs like Se Communities and expand much needed relief.”
DHS Sec. Johnson disavowed the deportation quota as ‘bad policy’ upon taking office but serious questions still remain about its existence and role in shaping the administration’s approach. Presenters will explain the FOIA, which seeks to uncover the truth about the driving force behind existing deportation policy.