Photo: AFP
DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced recently that her department would resume enforcement of the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act. Among other things, the law requires that any illegal alien be fingerprinted and added to a registry.
Ira Mehlman with the Federation for American Immigration Reform says this will be a big help when it comes to tracking down and arresting criminal illegal aliens because, "It requires people who are here, who have not been identified by the government, to register, so that we know who's here, we know where they are, and we know how we can find them."
He went on to say that this is part of a broader DHS effort to encourage illegal aliens to leave the country and return home, or "self deport" on their own. He said, "Part of the effort of this administration is to convince people that it's time to just go home on their own. We are going to take away all the incentives to remain here illegally."
Mehlman points out the advantage for immigrants who leave on their own is they might someday be able to come back legally, but for illegal aliens who are caught and deported, that door is closed.
Mehlman also added that this creates an additional penalty for illegal aliens who might be caught by law enforcement or commit other crimes.