U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers are planning a nationwide roundup of teenage gang members who entered the country illegally. Some of those being targeted include teens who entered as Unaccompanied Alien Children.
Calling the targeted enforcement action an expansion of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigrants, Reuters reported the action targets teenagers between the ages of 16- and 17-years-old.
Reuters cites an internal memo obtained from an unnamed source at ICE. The news service claims the move is an expansion of the deportation policy previously established under the Obama Administration where teens were only arrested for deportation if they had been convicted of a crime. The new action targets teens allegedly tied to criminal gangs.
The memo lists criteria for determining gang affiliation, Reuters stated. To be designated as a gang member the person must meet two of the following:
- Having gang tattoos
- Frequenting notorious gang locations
- Wearing gang apparel
