Today, director of ICE John Morton announced that he would be leaving his position at the end of July to take a position at a private company.
Morton has held his position since May 2009, and ICE has deported more than a million people during his tenure.
Below is a response from the National Day Laborer Organizing Network:
Under [Morton’s] leadership, ICE further fractured an already broken immigration system, it did tremendous damage to civil rights, and it served as a “force multiplier” for the unjust status quo. During his tenure, ICE operated under an self-imposed deportation quota.
With his departure, the President now has an opportunity to close the gap between his rhetoric and his policies on immigration. Was ICE a rogue agency, or was it just following orders? While we celebrate the removal of Morton, the deportation machine he helped build remains in place. And while Congress has its work to do, there are several steps ICE can take today to advance immigration reform. We are hopeful the next director of ICE will take immediate steps to reverse the damage and to alleviate injustice caused by ICE during John Morton’s tenure.
