The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Tuesday announced it will take into account noncitizen person’s U.S. military service when determining whether they should be deported.
ICE Acting Director Tae Johnson said in a statement that the agency “values the incredible contributions of noncitizens who have served in the U.S. military.”
“Through this directive, ICE will consider U.S. military service by a noncitizen or their immediate family members when determining whether to take civil immigration enforcement decisions against a noncitizen,” he said, referring to the new policy, ICE Directive 10039.2 (pdf).
ICE said that implementing the new directive is a way to formalize its long-standing attitude toward U.S. military service—which refers to service in the United States Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, and National Guard, including their reserves….