US to limit immigration arrests at courthouses

Washington DC: Immigration arrests at courthouses will be more limited than they were under President Donald Trump in a change of policy announced Tuesday by the Biden administration.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would no longer be authorized to carry out routine arrests at courthouses, a practice that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said discouraged people from attending court hearings and cooperating with law enforcement.

ICE can make arrests at courthouses in cases involving matters of national security or if the person poses a threat to public safety.

Agents can also apprehend someone who is the subject of an active pursuit or who authorities suspect may destroy evidence in a criminal case, Mayorkas said in a statement announcing the new policy.

The goal, Mayorkas said, is to balance the fair administration of justice with immigration enforcement.

The expansion of civil immigration arrests at courthouses during the prior administration had a chilling effect on individuals' willingness to come to court or work cooperatively with law enforcement," he said.

Some advocates believe the new policy doesn't go far enough.