Washington, D.C. (March 10, 2025) – A new report by the Center for Immigration Studies outlines the history of “sensitive areas” policies in immigration enforcement back to the Clinton administration, which directed officers to exercise discretion when conducting enforcement actions in locations like schools, places of worship, and hospitals. Over the years, the policies have evolved, with each administration refining guidelines, until significant changes to limit enforcement were implemented under President Biden.
Elizabeth Jacobs, the Center’s Director of Regulatory Affairs and Policy, said, "The rollback of Biden-era restrictive sensitive area protections marks a significant shift in immigration enforcement policies. The new Trump administration policy is clearly designed to defer to, rather than restrict, ICE officer discretion.”
Key Highlights:
- The Biden administration implemented the most restrictive sensitive areas policy, expanding protected locations and imposing the strictest officer discretion limitations in DHS history.
- During the first Trump administration, ICE data (2018-2020) shows no large-scale raids at sensitive areas, indicating rare enforcement activity in these locations.
- On January 20, 2025, Acting DHS Secretary Benjamine Huffman rescinded the Biden-era guidelines, reverting to a policy of case-by-case discretion rather than strict limitations.
- Schools and religious organizations have since responded, with some implementing new protective policies and others challenging the rollback in court.
- On February 24, 2025, a U.S. District Court issued an injunction, temporarily blocking ICE enforcement at certain places of worship.
|
