The Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raids that are making the news have some immigrants concerned about their future. Whether you have proper documentation to show that you are in the country lawfully or not, you need to learn about these raids and the detention that can follow.
There are around 1 million individuals in this country who have active removal orders. It is said that the raids are being done to find those individuals. One mayor noted that they might end up leading to collateral deportations if there are people found in the raids who don’t have the right documentation.
Immigrants are understandably worried
The news of the raids isn’t troubling only to undocumented individuals. Even immigrants who have the proper paperwork are frightened by the possibility of being detained because of things they can’t control. Some note that every knock on the door is scary.
Coming to the United States isn’t an easy journey. For many people, it can take years to get the paperwork and approvals necessary to live here. It is understandable how concerning it would be to think that all that hard work, time and money spent is useless because of a constantly changing attitude toward immigration.
Immigrants have rights
If you are concerned about immigration raids and detainment, remember that you have rights. One of the most important rights to exercise is seeing an immigration judge. You can have a hearing to determine whether you are eligible for relief to stay in this country.
You may also have the right to voluntarily depart if you know that you don’t have proper documentation. This won’t carry the severe penalties that occur when you are deported.
One of the most concerning things for a person facing possible deportation is being barred from returning to the United States. They can face criminal charges if they come back without permission to do so.
You have the right to be represented by an attorney. However, this doesn’t mean that the government will provide a free attorney. Instead, you or your family members will have to hire a lawyer to represent you. It might behoove you to have an attorney’s information handy so that you can contact them if necessary.
