New ICE program gives non-criminal fugitive aliens opportunity
Friday, 01 August 2008

Aliens and families to benefit from coordinated removals
WASHINGTON – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced today the launch of a pilot program, Scheduled Departure, which will begin next week in five cities. The program allows fugitive aliens who have no criminal history and pose no threat to the community an opportunity to remain out of custody while they coordinate their removal with ICE.

The program complements ICE's Fugitive Operations Program which targets fugitive aliens for arrest and removal from the United States. ICE's fugitive operations teams give top priority to cases involving fugitive aliens who pose a threat to national security and community safety; and thus far in FY 2008, they arrested more than 26,000 fugitives and other immigration status violators. There are 90 active fugitive operations teams, with 15 more scheduled to be deployed in the next two months.

“This program addresses concerns raised by aliens, community groups, and immigration attorneys who say ICE unnecessarily disrupts families while enforcing the law,â€