[Photo source: cfpereda, “Stop Deportations” July 26, 2011 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution.]

Yesterday, senior administration officials announced major changes to the deportation process. These procedural changes, if implemented properly, are a step in the right direction toward our goal: humane, comprehensive immigration reform.

While there’s a lot of misinformation out there, we’ve compiled the top 10 things you should know about these new announcements.

Here are the 10 Things You Should Know about DHS’s Announcement:

1. All 300,000 cases currently in deportation proceedings will be reviewed by senior DHS officials. Immigration judges and ICE trial attorneys will also be reviewing their cases on a daily and weekly basis to make sure that any case that goes forward is consistent with DHS enforcement priorities.
2. This announcement is DHS’s attempt to “unclog” the deportation case log by removing “low-priority” cases in order to focus on individuals who pose serious dangers to our communities and our country.
3. “High-priority” individuals include, but are not limited to, those who pose a serious threat to national security, are serious felons and repeat offenders, are known gang members, or have a record of repeated immigration violations.
4. “Low-priority” individuals include, but are not limited to, veterans; long-time, lawful residents; DREAMers and others brought to the US as children; pregnant women; victims of domestic abuse and other serious crimes; and spouses, including LGBT spouses.
5. Individuals in deportation proceedings who are deemed “low-priority” will get a letter from DHS stating their case has been administratively “closed”.
6. Those whose cases are closed can apply for a work permit program. Decisions about work permits will be made on a case-by-case basis. Undocumented immigrants not in deportation proceedings cannot seek work permits.
7. Individuals SHOULD NOT attempt to be placed in deportation proceedings in order to apply for a work permit.
8. If implemented properly, these individuals will not be placed into deportation proceedings in the future so long as this policy is in place.
9. The announcement does not change programs such as 287g and Secure Communities.
10. This is not “back-door amnesty” as our opponents will claim. This is a procedural change in the implementation of DHS’s enforcement policies to target only those who pose serious threats to the US and those with long criminal records.

In DHSs announcement today, officials said that they are reprioritizing the deportation proceedings and now will heavily focus on their main goal: deporting criminals who pose serious threats.

What does that mean for the 300,000 individuals currently in deportation proceedings?

Each one of their cases will be reviewed by DHS. DHS will then identify “low-priority” cases that will be removed from the case load and individuals deemed “low-priority” will be able to apply for a work permit program.

While the new policies don’t grant relief to the entire 11.2 million population of undocumented immigrants in the US, the changes, the administration says, will prevent low-priority, non-criminal immigrants from facing deportation proceedings in the first place. These “low-priority” individuals include DREAMers, pregnant women, veterans, spouses (including LGBT spouses and partners), and individuals with significant ties to their community.

Marissa Graciosa, spokesperson for the Fair Immigration Reform Movement said:

This is a hugely important step in the right direction. We urge the Administration to enforce this policy vigorously and follow it through to its full logical and moral conclusion: suspend deportations of all those who work hard every day to create better lives for themselves and their families.

Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) said:

Today is a victory not just for immigrants but for the American people as a whole because it makes no sense to deport DREAM Act students and others who can make great contributions to America and pose no threat. It is not in our national interest to send away young people who were raised in the U.S. and have been educated here and want only to contribute to this country’s success.

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said:

The Obama Administration has made the right decision in changing the way they handle deportations of DREAM Act students. These students are the future doctors, lawyers, teachers and, maybe, Senators, who will make America stronger. We need to be doing all we can to keep these talented, dedicated, American students here, not wasting increasingly precious resources sending them away to countries they barely remember. The Administration’s new process is a fair and just way to deal with an important group of immigrant students and I will closely monitor DHS to ensure it is fully implemented.

For your daily dose of DREAMer inspiration, check out Gaby Pacheco talking to fellow DREAMers while lobbying Congress this week.

Click here to call in and hear Gaby’s story. Then tell your Representative to vote YES on the DREAM Act later today.

A New York Times editorial this morning makes the case for the DREAM Act. As Congress winds down the current session, the Times writes, we’ve seen some amazing activism from the people the DREAM Act would affect most.

If the DREAM Act passes, credit must go to those who have fought for it most strenuously, at greater personal risk and inconvenience than anyone else: the young people whose futures it will decide. Thousands of students, calling themselves “undocumented and unafraid,” have led an admirable campaign of advocacy under the threat of arrest and deportation.

They have marched hundreds of miles, fasted for days, staged sit-ins and held bittersweet mock graduations. In letters and phone calls, on Twitter and Facebook, the DREAM activists have told their stories to whoever will listen, firmly confronting those who won’t.

Some of those actions have been happening this week. Right now in Texas, dozens of DREAMers are on a hunger strike to show Senator Hutchison their commitment to this fight.

The NYT again:

Gaby Pacheco once hugged Joe Arpaio, a sheriff in Arizona, momentarily disarming his anti-immigrant virulence. Recently, she and five others were in the office of Senator John McCain, a former Dream Act co-sponsor, urging him to summon the courage he now disowns. She reminded him of his promise in 2007 to fight for the bill. He begged off. She persisted: What about your promise? What about my family?

You can stand with Gaby, the strikers in Texas, and all the activists across the country working hard to pass the DREAM Act. Call your senator.

Join the fight! Sign up for action alerts & news from our Immigration Cell Phone Action Network or text JUSTICE to 69866.

On January 1st, four immigrant students left Miami, Florida for a four month-long journey to Washington, DC – on foot. These brave students are walking the “Trail of Dreams” in order to unite support for just and humane immigration reform and highlight the urgent need for change.

Carlos, Gaby, Felipe and Juan are documenting their journey and telling their stories as they march towards Washington and towards the hope of an immigration system that keeps families together and grants them the right to full citizenship in the country they consider home.

Yesterday, one of the marchers took to the Trail of Dreams blog and penned this inspiring message:

Along the way we are going to encounter hardships, however, we know that if we keep ourselves positive we will achieve anything.  This is a walk of faith, many have put so much on the line because we KNOW what we are doing will create ripples of effect that will impact people through out the globe.  Newspapers around the world are writing about this and people are sending us messages from Europe saying they are going to walk with to the US Embassy in solidarity.

So as we collect people’s dreams in our daily walk, we ask you, what work are you willing to do to ensure that the faith you have is not dead?  How are you going to make your dreams a reality?

While these four passionate activists are walking for justice, back in Homestead, Florida another group of community members and families will be fasting in solidarity. The “Fast for Our Families” are on an indefinite fast:

…in the name of all who have lost a loved one to the deportation system. The purpose of this fast is to touch the hearts and minds of all who value family unity and the strength of our communities. President Obama, we can’t wait anymore!

To read more about these brave marchers and fasters and to help support their efforts, visit the Trail of Dreams website and the Fast for Our Families website.

Join the fight! Sign up for action alerts & news from our Immigration Cell Phone Action Network or text JUSTICE to 69866.