Bhutanese say that if the US President wants to make the US safe and secure, they do not fall in the category involved in crimes of any nature
Under the letter head of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), dated November, 2024, a list comprising the number of people from different countries to be removed from the United States of America (USA) has been doing the rounds. According to the table, 122 Bhutanese would be removed. While the paper could not contact the US Embassy in Delhi, the said information is not mentioned in any of the United States’
documents concerning immigration and removal. Of all, the Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2024, a document released on December 19, 2024, by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which also shed lights on future plans, policies and activities, does not contain any information related to non-US citizens who might be removed.
According to the report one Bhutanese was removed in 2019. Since then, there have been no incidents of any Bhutanese being removed. Nonetheless, Trumph’s Immigration policies have many Bhutanese living in the United States concerned. In one of the latest developments, the Trumph administration quickly closed off access to the CBP One app, the phone application that allows migrants appointments to seek asylum in the United States went down. and asylum protections at the U.S. border; sent more active duty troops to help with border barriers and removal flights;
He opened the door for immigration authorities to arrest immigrants in schools, churches and hospitals. U.S. churches — once deemed off-limits to immigration authorities due to their “sensitive” status within communities — now face the prospect of federal agents arresting migrants within their walls. He also cleared the way for authorities to begin removing more than a million migrants who were legally admitted to the U.S. under the Biden administration.
In an Executive Order titled “PROTECTING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AGAINST INVASION,” signed on January 20, 2025, the US President has said that over the last 4 years, the prior administration invited, administered, and oversaw an unprecedented flood of illegal immigration into the United States. “Millions of illegal aliens crossed our borders or were permitted to fly directly into the United States on commercial flights and allowed to settle in American communities, in violation of longstanding Federal laws.”
“Many of these aliens unlawfully within the United States present significant threats to national security and public safety, committing vile and heinous acts against innocent Americans. Others are engaged in hostile activities, including espionage, economic espionage, and preparations for terror-related activities. Many have abused the generosity of the American people, and their presence in the United States has cost taxpayers billions of dollars at the Federal, State, and local levels.”
The President has written that enforcing the USA’s Nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States. “The American people deserve a Federal Government that puts their interests first and a Government that understands its sacred obligation to prioritize the safety, security, and financial and economic well-being of Americans.”
The policy, according to the President is to faithfully execute the immigration laws against all inadmissible and removable aliens, particularly those aliens who threaten the safety or security of the American people. Further, it is the policy of the United States to achieve the total and efficient enforcement of those laws, including through lawful incentives and detention capabilities.
The EO also says that within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit a report to the President regarding their progress implementing the requirements of this section and recommending any additional actions that may need to be taken to achieve its objectives.
Another component of the EO mentions about “Denial of Public Benefits to Illegal Aliens.” “The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall take all appropriate action to ensure that all agencies identify and stop the provision of any public benefits to any illegal alien not authorized to receive them under the provisions of the INA or other relevant statutory provisions.”
A Bhutanese based in New York said he is worried. “We know that removal operations follow a set of rules and that most targets are those involved in crime etc, which none of the Bhutanese are engaged in. However, the new administration can do anything, though Bhutanese in the US are only a drop in the ocean.”
He further added that many Bhutanese are hoping that “good will prevail.” “If the US President is doing this to make the US more secure and safe, the Bhutanese community fall in the category of the good; those who are humble, hardworking, sincere and committed. All employers of Bhutanese like us, for what we are and what we do. We hope President Trumph will also think about it.”
The Guidelines for the Enforcement of Civil Immigration Law issued by the Department of Homeland Security Secretary on September 30, 2021, provides the framework for prioritizing the enforcement and removal of noncitizens in the United States. The directive emphasizes focusing enforcement efforts on individuals who pose significant risks to national security, public safety, and border security. “No Bhutanese are involved in any of the three areas identified. But when actions are taken against citizens from other countries, we may also become the victims,” another Bhutanese said. According to him, he has started working longer hours and more shifts. “Our future here is uncertain.”
For removing someone, ERO identifies noncitizens considered to be removable from the United States through a range of law enforcement and intelligence techniques. As part of these efforts, ERO’s Targeting Operations centers — the National Criminal Analysis and Targeting Center, the Law Enforcement Support Center and the Pacific Enforcement Response Center — deliver real-time leads and referrals to ERO’s 25 field offices to increase the operational efficiency of its targeted enforcement actions.
ERO conducts administrative arrests of noncitizens for civil violations of U.S. immigration laws. Administrative arrests occur when ERO arrests a noncitizen for a violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Noncitizens with or without criminal histories may be administratively arrested.
In FY 2024, ERO arrested 113,431 noncitizens — a 33.5% decrease from FY 2023, when ERO conducted a total of 170,590 arrests. Although shifts in arrest numbers are driven by multiple complex factors, many of ERO’s resources throughout FY 2024 were concentrated on processing and removing noncitizens at the Southwest Border, limiting interior law enforcement actions.
While overall arrests fell, the composition of ERO’s arrests shifted toward noncitizens with serious criminal histories. In FY 2024, 81,312, or 71.7%, of the 113,431 noncitizens ERO arrested were convicted criminals or had pending criminal charges at the time of arrest. In contrast, 73,822, or 43%, of the 170,590 ERO arrested in FY 2023 had criminal histories, representing a significant jump in the percentage of criminals arrested.
During FY 2024, the 81,312 criminal noncitizens ERO arrested had 516,050 charges and convictions, for an average of 6.3 charges or convictions per person. These charges or convictions included serious and violent offenses, including 57,081 assaults; 18,579 sexual assault and sex offenses; 12,895 weapons offenses; 11,822 burglaries; 5,462 robberies; 2,894 homicides; and 2,766 kidnappings, demonstrating ERO’s strong focus on public safety arrests and its role keeping communities safe nationwide.
Title 8 of the U.S. Code authorizes ERO officers to remove noncitizens with final orders of removal, including final orders issued by an immigration judge or other lawful means. An ICE removal is defined as the compulsory and confirmed movement of an inadmissible or deportable noncitizen out of the United States. ERO removes noncitizens it arrests within the U.S. interior and noncitizens apprehended by CBP along the Southwest and Northern Borders who are subsequently transferred to ERO custody.
ERO removed significantly more noncitizens in FY 2024 than in both FY 2023 and FY 2022. In FY 2024, ERO removed 271,484 noncitizens — an increase of 90.4% compared to FY 2023 and an increase of 276.1% compared to FY 2022 — to 192 countries. Of the 271,484 removals, 88,763 — or 32.7% — had criminal histories, with an average of 5.63 convictions and/or charges per individual. These included many serious charges or convictions for offenses, including 47,885 assaults; 16,552 sexual assaults and sex offenses; 10,862 weapons offenses; 9,453 burglaries; 4,906 robberies; 2,699 homicides; and 2,423 kidnappings.
Ugyen Tenzin from Thimphu