Oh my, the nativists aren’t going to like this one.

Memo from head of ICE urges deportation priority list

DALLAS - The Pew Hispanic Center says 11 million undocumented immigrants live in the United States. Last year, the U.S. deported nearly 400,000 people living in the country illegally.

A new memo released from the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is now encouraging a priority list. The memo could be welcome news to a number of local immigrants, mostly students and the elderly, set for deportation.

[…]

Dated last Friday, the memo was from Morton to all the regional directors, special agents and chief counsel.

“Because the agency is confronted with more violations than its resources can address, the agency must regularly exercise prosecutorial discretion,” it read.

“Felons,” “gang members,” “repeat offenders” first.

But, the following cases should prompt special consideration, inlcuding “minors and elderly individuals,” those “in the U.S. since childhood” and those who “have or are pursuing a college or advanced degree at a legitimate institution of higher education.”

This is the third in a series of memos from the the ICE agency director.

Immigration activist Ralph Isenberg, of Dallas, said this is easily the most declarative.