As public support for mass deportation declines, the American Immigration Council has proposed a new framework aimed at reforming the U.S. immigration enforcement system to prioritize credibility and humanity.
Washington, D.C. – On May 12, the American Immigration Council unveiled a new framework advocating for a comprehensive overhaul of the United States’ immigration enforcement system. The proposal highlights a fundamental disconnect between current immigration practices and public safety, arguing that the ongoing debate has been reduced to a false dichotomy of either mass deportation or no enforcement at all.
Titled “Restoring Credibility and Humanity: A New Framework for Immigration Enforcement,” the document outlines a roadmap to replace indiscriminate mass deportation with a system that emphasizes compliance with the law. The framework prioritizes addressing public safety threats, implementing proportionate consequences, and ensuring meaningful accountability for government abuses.
This proposal emerges in the wake of growing criticism of the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda, which has affected long-term residents, families, business owners, and individuals actively seeking lawful status.
“Mass deportation has eroded public trust in the federal government by treating every immigrant as a violent criminal,” said Nayna Gupta, national policy director and co-author of the report. “A credible system should provide a pathway for those who want to follow the rules and impose consequences that are proportionate to the actual violation. The Trump administration has weaponized outdated laws, using detention and deportation as a one-size-fits-all punishment, even for individuals with deep community ties who pose no public safety threat.”
The framework proposes significant reforms across four key pillars:
First, it suggests creating a new process for long-term undocumented residents to obtain lawful permanent status through fines, community service, and probation-like systems, rather than facing deportation.
Second, it calls for revising outdated laws to focus enforcement efforts on individuals convicted of violent or particularly serious recent crimes while enhancing the professionalism of enforcement agencies.
Third, the proposal advocates for new, proportionate consequences for violations of immigration law, moving away from blanket detention and deportation for all immigration violators.
Lastly, it emphasizes the need for independent oversight and stronger judicial authority to hold immigration agencies and their agents accountable for any abuses of power.
The framework posits that immigration enforcement should not be measured by the number of deportations executed but rather by the consistency, fairness, and humanity with which laws are enforced.
“The primary goal of ramping up immigration enforcement was to remove violent offenders from the streets, and that is widely supported,” said Joseph Kennedy, sheriff of Dubuque County, Iowa. “However, the issue arises when individuals who are complying with the law—such as those reporting for regular check-ins—are taken into custody. This erodes trust and makes communities less safe when law enforcement cannot be relied upon.”
Additionally, the framework emphasizes the importance of accountability reforms, asserting that rebuilding public confidence in immigration enforcement requires meaningful oversight and consequences for abuses of power. It proposes measures such as expanding judicial authority to review unlawful enforcement actions, establishing an independent immigration accountability commission, strengthening internal oversight offices within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and enabling victims of civil rights violations to pursue legal action.
“Establishing a credible and humane immigration enforcement system hinges on ensuring that enforcement agencies are accountable to both the public and other branches of government,” said Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow and co-author of the report. “No law enforcement agency can maintain legitimacy if abuses of power go unchecked. A credible enforcement system must empower courts and Congress to intervene when federal agencies and officers overstep their authority.”
The framework warns that the United States has reached a critical juncture after decades of immigration policymaking focused excessively on punishment rather than long-term compliance and public safety. The report cautions that continuing down the path of indiscriminate enforcement risks entrenching the country in a permanent state of mass detention and social disruption.
“We are faced with a choice between indiscriminate enforcement that destabilizes communities and diverts resources from genuine public safety threats, versus credible enforcement that is targeted, proportional, and capable of enhancing public safety,” Gupta stated. “The question is not whether immigration laws should be enforced, but whether that enforcement will be smart, focused, and humane, or driven by fear, quotas, and political theater.”
The full framework is available on the American Immigration Council’s website.
According to American Immigration Council.