The Biden administration has directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to generally avoid deporting U.S. military veterans or service members,
And their immediate family.
ICE head Tae Johnson sent a memo instructing the agency’s officials to consider prior U.S. military service as a “significant mitigating factor that weighs against” placing immigrants in deportation proceedings.
A decision to place a veteran or service member in deportation proceedings must be approved first by top ICE officials.
Further,
The memo stated that ICE will not seek to deport active-duty U.S. service members, “absent significant aggravating factors being present in the case.”