President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with labor leaders in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Washington.
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON ā Immigration enforcement in the U.S. would be more targeted under President Joe Biden than under his predecessor, with authorities directed to focus on people in the country illegally who pose a threat, according to guidelines released Thursday.
The guidelines set a new course for U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, which drew fierce criticism under President Donald Trump for arresting and removing anyone in the country illegally regardless of criminal history or community ties.
Under Biden, ICE would primarily apprehend and remove people who pose a threat to national security, committed crimes designated as āaggravatedā felonies or recently crossed the border.
AdTrump, whose administration took hundreds of measures to restrict both legal and illegal immigration, early on directed ICE to apprehend anyone who was in the country illegally.