On January 20, 2021, the Acting Secretary for the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a memorandum explaining interim policies for enforcement of immigration laws. These immediate measures, some of which took effect the first day of the Biden Administration, call for a broad review of enforcement priorities.
The memorandum calls for a department-wide review of policies, issues interim enforcement guidelines effective February 1st, and immediately pauses some removals (deportations) for 100 days while that review is underway.
The new enforcement priorities include national security, border security, and public safety. This contrasts the Trump Administration’s priorities, which included nearly all unlawfully present individuals and created unworkable backlogs in enforcement and with immigration courts.