Feds Prioritize Deporting Undocumented Convicts Over Students

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President Barack Obama shakes hands after speaking about immigration in El Paso, Texas in May.

President Barack Obama’s administration announced it would prioritize deporting people convicted of crimes, while putting a lower priority on undocumented children who came to the U.S. when very young, military veterans and spouses of active duty military.

The announcement follows StateImpact Florida’s story Wednesday about students who have been granted a temporary reprieve from deportation by federal officials.The policy could allow more undocumented students to attend U.S. colleges.

Thursday’s White House announcement formalizes a policy already applied by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, giving local offices more say in which cases to pursue.

The White House said in a release they are applying “common sense guidelines” that will shift resources away from low-priority cases to those of undocumented immigrants who have been convicted of crimes.

“In the end, this means more immigration enforcement pressure where it counts the most, and less where it doesn’t – that’s the smartest way to follow the law while we stay focused on working with the Congress to fix it,” wrote Cecilia Munoz, White House director of intergovernmental affairs.