ICE deportation agents ordered not to detain crime victims

The Biden administration on Wednesday issued new guidance instructing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to refrain from detaining and deporting immigrants who were victims of crimes, barring extraordinary circumstances.

By minimizing the "chilling effect" of potential deportation, interim ICE Director Tae Johnson said in a memo to agents, the policy change can encourage immigrants living in the U.S. without legal permission to contact law enforcement and assist investigations. "When victims have access to humanitarian protection, regardless of their immigration status, and can feel safe in coming forward, it strengthens the ability of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, including ICE, to detect, investigate, and prosecute crimes," Johnson wrote in his memo.