Department of Homeland Security Streamlines
Removal Process Along Entire U.S. Border
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact:
202-282-8010
January 30, 2006
WASHINGTON, DC Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary
Michael Chertoff announced today the implementation of Expedited Removal
(ER) along the entire U.S.-Canadian border and all U.S. coastal areas, as
part of the Secure Border Initiative. Todays announcement reflects the
further implementation of ER that was initially implemented along the
Southwest border and will now be implemented along all of the United
States border areas. ER is an effective border management process
that swiftly returns illegal aliens to their countries of origin while
maintaining protections for those who fear persecution.
With the Secure Border Initiative, we made a commitment to implement
new tactics throughout the U.S. in order to gain control of our borders,
said Secretary Chertoff. We have seen success in deterring illegal
border crossers since Expedited Removal was implemented throughout the
Southwest. Implementing this process along all borders will provide
DHS agents and officers with an additional tool to protect our nations
boundaries and quickly remove those who entered our country illegally.
Expedited Removal authority was established by the Illegal Immigration
Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 and applied initially at
our nations ports-of-entry. Since last September, DHS has
successfully implemented ER between the ports-of-entry at all nine U.S.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol Sectors on the Southwest
border. CBP Border Patrol agents have been trained and are now ready
to implement ER in all Border Patrol Sectors. U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention and Removal officers have devoted
significant detention space to ER and have removed more than 4,750 aliens
under the program since September.
ER provides DHS the authority to expeditiously return applicable
illegal aliens to their country of origin as soon as circumstances will
allow. DHS will be applying ER to aliens who have spent 14 days or
less in the United States, and are either apprehended within 100 miles of
the border with Mexico or Canada or arrive by sea and are apprehended
within 100 miles of a coastal border area.
Individuals in ER proceedings are generally not released into the
United States. ER disrupts the various human smuggling cycles that
occur along the border by substantially reducing the time from arrest to
ultimate removal from the United States and foreclosing opportunities for
these illegal aliens to reconnect with their smugglers and guides.
Under the Secure Border Initiative, the Expedited Removal process has
proven to be a successful tool in rapidly returning illegal aliens to
their country of origin, while providing those aliens who have a credible
fear of persecution or torture the opportunity to present their case
before an immigration judge. By implementing ER more widely, ICE and
CBP personnel in all border sectors will be provided the mechanism to
effectively deter future entries and accelerate removals.