Administration Slow to Implement Prosecutorial Discretion Guidelines, Fast to Set Deportation Records

Julia Preston of the N.Y. Times had an interesting piece about the difficulties that the Obama administration has had in implementing the much-publicized guidelines for enhanced prosecutorial discretion in removal cases. “Officials at the Homeland Security Department acknowledge the policy’s slow start. Mr. Morton’s June guidelines were followed by a three-month lull, when resistance grew among agents in the field. In late September, Ms. Napolitano and Mr. Morton went on the offensive to press the policy, and since then Mr. Morton has been on the road inaugurating training programs.”

While the administration has been slow in implementing its policy of prosecutorial discretion (and slow in getting comprrehensive immigration reform through Congress), it has not been slow in ramping up the number of removals, with the administration setting annother U.S. removal record this year with nearly 400,000 removals. The Obama administration’s “enforcement now, enforcement forever” approach was quickly implemented as soon as he assumed office.

KJ