The Trump administration has expanded the list of categories for which immigrants can be sent before immigration judges to start deportation procedures against them.
Measures announced by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will tighten the Department of Homeland Security's controls on immigrants, affecting not only undocumented foreigners, but also legal immigrants who lose their immigration benefits or status.
The change is tied to Notices to Appear, a document issued to noncitizens instructing them to appear in immigration court. The notices usually are the start of deportation procedures.
A USCIS announcement said its officials will issue the notices for a broader range of cases such as fraud, criminal activity or when an applicant is denied an immigration benefit.
"For too long, USCIS officers uncovering instances of fraudulent or criminal activity have been limited in their ability to help ensure U.S. immigration laws are faithfully executed," agency Director Lee Francis Cissna said in a statement.
The new procedures, Cissna said, give USCIS officers more leeway and "clear guidance they need and deserve to support the enforcement priorities established by the president, keep our communities safe, and protect the integrity of our immigration system from those seeking to exploit it."
The new criteria are part of the Trump administration's campaign to reduce legal and illegal immigration without having to obtain congressional approval. It comes at a time when its "zero-tolerance" policy is under harsh criticism for separating children from parents.
USCIS said the revised policy will allow its agents to more easily refer cases to Immigration and Customs Enforcement or issue Notices to Appear. Immigrants by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program are exempt from the change.
