By Mica Rosenberg and Kristina Cooke

(Reuters) – The U.S. government will narrow who immigration agents target for arrest and deportation, U.S. Alejandro Mayorkas (Hands-on Security Secretary) said that Thursday’s announcement was a significant departure from Trump’s earlier hard-line approach.

Mayorkas stated that new guidance was issued Thursday giving agents greater discretion in making case-by-case decision. The focus is on recent border crossings and those who are a threat to national security.

According to Thursday’s memo, enforcement could not be applied to immigrants who have lived in the United States long enough, are minors, elderly, or who might suffer from deportation. Another factor that could help is service in the military, whether by an immigrant or a family member. These new guidelines will be in effect within 60 days.

American President Joe Biden (a Democrat) promised a more compassionate approach to immigration than Trump. Trump instructed ICE agents that no immigrants would be exempted from the immigration enforcement, including those who are low-level offenders or non-criminals and people who have lived in the United States for a long time.

The memo stated that “it is estimated that there are over 11 million undocumented and otherwise removable non-citizens within the United States.” This includes teachers, farmers, and those working at the frontlines for the COVID-19 pandemic. We don’t have the means to capture and remove every single one.

New guidelines don’t include any categories but instruct agents to consider all circumstances to determine which resources to be prioritized.

Mayorkas explained that in the past, guidelines for public safety have often defined who is a danger to the public by focusing on the problem categorically. “If you’ve done X then you are a public safety risk.” He warned that such an approach could lead to unjust and inefficient results.

The Biden administration had previously issued interim guidelines that instructed ICE agents not to concentrate on immigrants deemed dangers or those arriving in the United States after November 1, 2020. Federal judge in August blocked the interim guidelines, siding with Louisiana and Texas (both Republican-led) that were challenged.