Since Jan. 20, officers with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have issued roughly 196,600 Notices to Appear (NTAs), a charging document that initiates deportation proceedings for noncitizens, the agency said in a statement on Dec. 22.
“Under an updated policy confirming USCIS’ role as an immigration enforcement agency, the agency’s officers are once again empowered to enforce immigration law by issuing Notices to Appear,” it said.
The NTA, issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), under which USCIS operates, explained why the individual is subject to deportation.
The 196,600 NTAs issued under the Trump administration this year represent “historic levels of enforcement,” according to an official infographic….