HomelandSecurity

June 15,2$17

David Y. AguilarAr;ling Commissionrr, U.$. Customs iu:d florder Protestiun

Alejandro Mayr:rkasI)irector= I-r.S. Citizenship zurd lmmigratiern Scrvices

John l{ortonflircctor, 1.1-S. Immigratinn and Customs Enlirrcemcnt

Janet )rlagrlitanuSecretar-r'uf

Exercising

By this nrcrnorandum, I am scrting forth lrorv. in the excrcise of our prosccutarial discretion, thr:Depaflmcnt af Homeland Sc{.rurifi,' {Df lS) shoukl enfirrcc rhc l{ation's immigration lau.s againsrcertain y$ung people who were brnught to this country a^s *hildren and knux unly this cou$u)' il,ihome, As a gcni,'ral mafier. thesc individua;s lacked thi: intent to violate the larr.and our ongoingrcvierv of penrling rr:rnor.,al cases is alreadl' offerilg administratir'c closure to man). of them.Httrvevcr, additional mcas$rcs are nacersariv Io rnsur* that aur cnfofi.:emeni resourscs are notexperidcd on thcse low prioritS eases but ale inslead apprrrpriatel.r' focuscd ern pcople who mcctour *nforcemcnt priorities,

The I'ollowing citeria should be satislied hefcrrc an irrlividual is considcred I'sr a:r cxercisc o[proseculoriai discrcrian purstulnt to this memnrandum:

I carne to the ( lnited States undcr ihe age i:f sixtccn;r has conlinuously'rcsideri in lhe Lnitud States lor a lcast tive p.ears preceding the date o1

this tnernorandwn and is prcsi.'nt in the Unitrd Statcs on the date af this nnemorandum;r is currntly in school, has graduated *om high schaol, has obtainerl a gencral educarion

rieveloprncnt cefiifrcate, or is an lronorablS.'dir*charged vetcran of the Coast Cuard orArmed Forces of rhe Lnired {itates;

. has nol been convi*r:d of a felonl'' oIfense, a significa.nt misderncanor ollbnse- multiplernisdemcar:or r:llenses, or otherwise p(]ses a thrcat tu national securit-v.. ur puhlic salet,v:and

r is nc1 above the agc of thirr,v.

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IJiscretion *'ith Respect to IndividualsStates as Childrcn

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Our Nstion's immigration iarvs must he enfarccd in a shong and sensible rnanfler. 'Ihey are notdesigncd to be blindly enftrrced without consideration given tc thc individunl circumstances ofeach case' Nor we they designed ls rcmove productive your,g pcaplc to countries q,h*re tlrc.vmay not havr lived or cYen speak the language- lndced, nrany of rt use young prcople havealrc;xJy contributed to our ct)un-rv- in signiticant ways. tsrosecutorial discretiin, which is use{, inso many $ther areas, is csprciall;* justitied hcre_As pafi ofthis cxcrcisc of prcsecutcrial discrEtiun, the atror.e criteria are 1o be con:-iCercdwhcther or nol an indivitiual is alrcady in removal proceedings or subjcct ro a tinaj order ofrcmoval. No indiviiiual should recu'ive delbred action undei this n:cmorand.rm unless they firstpa-ss a l:ackground check :uril requests fbr relief prrsuant Io this memorandum arc to bc decidedon a case hy casc hasis. DHS oarmot provide ary assurance that relief u.i1l be grantcr3 in allcases.

I . With respect ta individuais who are encounteral by tJ.S. Immigration and Customsl']nforccnrenl (lCir t, U.S" Customs and tsorder l]rotection {CBPI, * u-S. Citizcnship andlmmigration Sen ices (US CIS):

r With rcspcct to individuals *'hn mest l-irc ahuve crireria, fCE and CBp shouldirnmediatell' exercise their discretion, on m individual basis" in onier to prevent iowprioriry intlividuals lrom bcing placcd inlo removal proceedings u..**,**d fnrm rhcllnited States.

' USCIS is instructed to implement this mcmorandurn consi*rent witt ils cxisting guidarceregarding the issuance of narices fo appear.

2' With rcslxct ta inditiduals who are iq rernoyalpreiceedings but not }et suhject to a frnai i:rdcrof removal, iuril who meet the above crGria:

r ICE should excrcise prosccutorial discretion" on an individuai basis, fbr intiividuals q,lrorneet thc above criteria hl defening acti*n for a period of-tna ).ars, sudcct tn renewal,in order tn prevenl l*vu prinril-r,. individuals frim being removed jrom thi lJnited Statcs.r ICE is instrucled to usc its Office olthe Public Advocarc to permit individuals u.hobelieve the.v meet t}te abnve crilcria ta itientifr thcrnselves rhrough a clcar errC cfficienlpr$cess"

r ICE is dirccted ttl bcgin in:plementing this pruccss wirhin 60 days oIt"he daa.e $lthismernorandum.

r ICF. is also instructed ta imrnediatcly begin the process of tlcfcring action ngainstindividuals'*'ho meet tJre al'nve oriteria whosc cases haye alreadl.. heen idcntlficd tir'oughthe ongoing revicw of pending carses befirre thc Hxscutive Ollice itrr ImmigrationReview.

3' With rcspcct ta thc i-ndividuals *'ho are nat currenlly in removal irrrrccedings and. meet theabove criteria, and pa;s a trackgyound check:

r USCLT should establish a clcar and ellicient proccsri for exercising prr:securorialdiscretion, on an individual basis, by defering action against individuals whu rneet thc

atsve r:riteria and arc at leasr I5 i..eax_ukJ, lir a yrericct uf two )ieani, subjccr ts renewal,in order lo preYcnt low priority inAvi*uats fl"*;*irt phced inro rcmoval pracoedingsor rernovcd Ilom the Unitcd States.

r The USCIS process shall also bc availahlc ta individual.s subjcct to a tinal ordcr ofremor,al r*gudless of tlrcir agc.I USCIS is drected ro bcgin implementing this process u'ithin 60 days rf rhc date ofthi.smcmotandurn-

For individuals ra,ho arc granted deferrcd action by rirher lCli or L;SCIS, USCTS shall acceprapplicaticns to dcie:mine rvhcth*r these indir.iduals qualily fbr w,ork aulhorization during diispcnod of dcfcrrcd action.

'l hi.s memurancium confers na suh.srantive right, immigration status or pathway to citizen.ship.Only thc Congres.s, acting through its legislative authority, uan confer these ri[h*. tt remains lbrthc cxccutit'e branch, howevr, to srt farth policy for tlrc cxercise of discrcriun rvithin thelrarnework of the existing law. I have done so hcrc.

l!*r fro/rL*(J t'-'* Napol#ano