The top prosecutor in Oregon's most populous county announced an immigration reform policy Thursday in an effort to protect non-citizens from being deported if they are charged with a crime.
The Multnomah County District Attorney's Office said the new policy will balance the rights of American citizens and those living in the country illegally.
It directs deputy district attorneys to consider immigration consequences in all phases of a prosecution, including when making charging decisions, plea bargaining and sentencing.
It also allows for punishments to be restructured so that they don't result in deportation, as long as the changes don’t reduce the severity of the sentence. "Prior to these reforms, non-citizens accused of a crime could be sent back to their country of origin and given a lifelong ban from re-entry for non-violent offenses, where a naturalized U.S.
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