Tae D. Johnson

Johnson Assumed The ICE Acting Director Role A Few Days Before The Biden-Harris Administration Took Office. “Johnson takes the reins at ICE less than a week before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. He has worked at Homeland Security and one of its predecessor agencies, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, for more than 25 years, including senior positions in ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division.” [Border Report, 1/13/21]

• ICE Deputy Director 
• Deputy Executive Associate Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO)
• Assistant Director for ERO’s Custody Management Division 
• Detention and Deportation Officer, ICE, 2007

Johnson Issued A Statement In Support Of The Biden Administration’s Move To End The Detainment Of Pregnant, Postpartum And Nursing Individuals

Johnson Issued A Statement In Support Of The Biden Administration’s Move To End Detainment Of Pregnant, Postpartum And Nursing Individuals. “ICE is committed to safeguarding the integrity of our immigration system and preserving the health and safety of pregnant, postpartum and nursing individuals,” said Acting ICE Director Tae D. Johnson. “Given the unique needs of this population, we will not detain individuals known to be pregnant, postpartum or nursing unless release is prohibited by law or exceptional circumstances exist. This reflects our commitment to treat all individuals with respect and dignity while still enforcing our nation’s laws.” [ICE, 7/9/21]

In Senate Testimony, Johnson Stated ICE Is Committed To Humane Enforcement

During A May 2021 Senate Testimony Johnson Stated That ICE Is Committed To Humane Enforcement Of Immigration Laws. “ICE is committed to enforcing immigration laws humanely, effectively, with professionalism, and in accordance with government and Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-wide enforcement and removal priorities. On January 20, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. issued Executive Order (EO) 13993, Revision of Civil Immigration Enforcement Policies and Priorities, 86 Fed. Reg. 7051 (Jan. 25, 2021), which articulated the Administration's baseline values and priorities for the enforcement of the civil immigration laws. On the same day, then-Acting Secretary of Homeland Security David Pekoske issued a memorandum entitled, Review of and Interim Revision to Civil Immigration Enforcement and Removal Policies and Priorities, which established interim civil immigration priorities for the Department. Subsequently, on February 18, 2021, I issued a memorandum to ICE personnel entitled, Interim Guidance: Civil Immigration Enforcement and Removal Priorities, which established guidance in support of the interim civil immigration enforcement and removal priorities set forth in former Acting Secretary Pekoske's memorandum. This interim guidance will remain in place until Secretary Mayorkas issues new enforcement guidelines.” [ICE, 5/13/21]

During The Same Testimony, Johnson Acknowledged The Humanitarian Crisis At The Southern Border. “There is a humanitarian crisis at the border. Unaccompanied children are arriving in unprecedented numbers. We have made enormous strides in ensuring these children are transferred to the safe custody and care of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within 72 hours after determining that a child is unaccompanied. Upon apprehension by CBP, unaccompanied children are typically transferred to ERO for a short period to safely transport them to HHS ORR custody for the coordination and implementation of care and placement with appropriate family members or sponsors.” [ICE, 5/13/21]

While Discussing Family Asylum Seekers, Johnson Stated That ICE Ensures Individuals In Government Custody Are Treated With Dignity And Respect. “Family unity will be maintained while families are in residence at the hotels along the Southwest Border, and residents will have access to legal counsel and may be enrolled in an alternatives to detention program prior to their release, as appropriate. Other services while in residence include telephone access, meals, access to remote religious programming, and age appropriate recreation/leisure activities. ICE ensures that all individuals in its custody are treated with dignity and respect and are provided the best possible care.” [ICE, 5/13/21]

Johnson Has Verbally Supported Title 42 And Has Stated The Border Is Closed

Johnson Explicitly Stated The Southern Border Is Closed. “But even as the deal was announced, Johnson dissuaded would-be migrants from making the dangerous and illegal trek across the border, warning that most people would be turned around under coronavirus precautions. ‘Our border is not open,’ said Johnson. ‘The majority of individuals continue to be expelled under the Centers for Disease Control’s public health authority.’” [NY Post, 3/21/21]

Johnson Verbally Supported The Enforcement Of Title 42, A Trump-Era Policy Used To Expedite Expulsion Of Migrants And Asylum Seekers. “The exercise of Title 42 authority by CBP has enabled ICE to play its part in safely securing the border. By reducing the numbers of entrants into the United States who require quarantine, isolation, and follow-on care, the U.S. Government is better able to focus its efforts on the safety and welfare of those in U.S. custody or control. The expulsion of noncitizens at the border determined by CBP to be subject to Title 42 has been critical to ICE's efforts to ensure adequate space for social distancing and reduce the spread of COVID-19 throughout its detention facilities. ICE is concerned, however, that without Title 42 measures in place pursuant to the CDC's public health judgment and authority, a new increase in migration at the Southwest border could compromise these efforts and undermine public health efforts.” [ICE, 5/13/21]

ICE Detention Practices Have Been Criticized For Failure To Ensure Safety Within Detention Facilities During The COVID-19 Pandemic. “Today, 160 immigrant rights and legal services organizations called on the Biden administration to implement an effective case review process to consider the release of nearly 14,000 people who remain in immigration detention, at grave risk of contracting COVID-19, more than a year into the pandemic. Many of these individuals should not be subjected to detention or deportation based on the administration’s most recent memo outlining enforcement priorities, the advocates say in a letter sent to the White House, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tae Johnson. The case review process ICE created in early March, they say, has been ‘woefully inadequate’ because it channels detained immigrants’ requests for release to biased ICE field office directors who prefer to use their authority to keep people detained. The process also has been harmfully weighted against individuals who do not have legal representation and people with past criminal convictions, ignoring other positive factors that should favor their release.” [National Immigrant Justice Center, 3/29/21]

Members Of Congress Wrote A Letter Urging Johnson To Improve Treatment Of Transgender Individuals Held In ICE’s Custody. “Given ICE’s history on transgender detention, it’s clear that ICE is not fully capable of safely and humanely detaining transgender and HIV+ individuals. As these individuals face civil, and not criminal proceedings, alternatives to detention that protect the health and safety of these individuals is paramount. We ask that you share the following information and data on a monthly basis: In January 2020, more than 40 Members of Congress, wrote to ICE urging the release of all transgender immigrants. At that time, we noted that, ‘Immigrants who have faced fear and violence in their pursuit of a new life in the United States should not be confronted with more fear and threats of violence when they arrive at our borders.’ Unfortunately, ICE’s policy has not changed. We therefore write again today to urge ICE to ensure the release of all transgender people and people living with HIV currently in custody either on recognizance or under supervision, and to formally and publicly announce that ICE will no longer detain transgender individuals and people living with HIV, utilizing release into the community or alternative to detention programming instead.” [Congress, 7/9/21]

When Questioned About The Poor Treatment Of Transgender Detainees Johnson Did Not Respond—He Instead Pivoted To Discuss Criminal Convictions. “Yes, definitely some work is underway to figure out as I mentioned how to deal with various segments of our vulnerable population to include transgender...identifying other alternatives where that is possible. As you may be aware, I mean some individuals that are transgender have pretty serious criminal convictions, and it's you know that's one area where we are just trying to evaluate some of the mitigating factors that come with some of these cases, like their special vulnerabilities, compared to the public safety threat that they actually post, but we're going to continue to sort of dig into that issue and see where we can make improvements.” [Congressman Mike Quigley, 5/13/21]