ICE to target immigrants with removal orders, including families

Days after President Trump tweeted that Immigration and Customs Enforcement next week will begin removing millions of undocumented immigrants from the country, acting ICE director Mark Morgan said the agency would target those who have had removal orders, including families.

“It’s straightforward: if you’re here illegally, then you should be removed and in this case, that includes families,” Morgan said during a press call Wednesday, adding that the families have had due process.

He said that in order to uphold the rule of law, ICE must enforce immigration orders. {mosads}

“To uphold the rule of law…the men and women of ICE must follow through and enforce judicial orders against those who have had their due process and have been ordered removed by a federal immigration judge,” he said.

“We should not exempt a certain demographic from the rule of law. If you’re here illegally there should be consequences applied,” he added.

Morgan said the agency will continue to go after people who have committed violent offenses but added “just because that demographic is a priority does not mean we should exempt all other categories.”

He added that he hoped to specifically “send a message” regarding families.

He declined to give a timeline on the operation, but told The Hill in an interview Tuesday that it would be impossible to remove all 11 million of the nation’s estimated undocumented immigrant population in one quick swoop. 

He also declined to give specifics on how many people ICE wanted to apprehend, how many are children or where they are living.