Operation Scheduled Departure
Operation Scheduled Departure was a 2008 project of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to organize the voluntary deportations of 457,000 eligible illegal immigrants[1] from five U.S. cities. The goal was to benefit the government with a "quick, cheap" reduction in the fugitive count, and to save money by not having to keep immigrants in detention centers.[2]
Operation[edit]
The operation was first announced on a Univision Sunday news program[3] and formally began on August 5 and ended on August 22.[4] The five targeted cities were Charlotte, North Carolina, Chicago, Illinois, Santa Ana, California (Los Angeles area),[4] Phoenix, Arizona, and San Diego, California.[2] Illegal immigrants who ignored a deportation order ("fugitives") and didn't have a criminal record could walk into an ICE office and agree to be deported.[1] They would be given 90 days to make arrangements for their U.S. born children.[5] Of the 457,000 fugitives eligible for the program, 8 volunteered to be deported.[5]
Notes[edit]
- ^ a b Holstege, Sean (2008-08-25). "Feds give deportees option to go voluntarily". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
- ^ a b Rozemberg, Hernán (2008-06-30). "ICE offers details about self-deport program". San Antonio Express-News. Houston Chronicle.
- ^ Gamboa, Suzanne (2008-01-30). "Program lets illegal immigrants volunteer to leave". Associated Press. Retrieved 2008-08-25.[dead link]
- ^ a b "ICE Scheduled Departure Program". U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 2008-08-05. Archived from the original on September 17, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
- ^ a b "That's 8 Out of 457,000". The New York Times. 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2008-08-25.