Immigration

In the U.S., certain countries are designated as Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The designation is awarded when circumstances make it impossible to guarantee that foreign nationals could return to their home country safely. The Secretary of Homeland Security makes or removes the designation. The Secretary may designate a country for TPS due to the following…

Deportation means being returned or sent back from the U.S. to your home country. American citizens cannot be deported; however, if a person born in a foreign country fraudulently obtained his or her citizenship, he or she can be deported. Undocumented immigrants (those who entered the U.S. illegally) are subject to being deported at any…

A “sanctuary city” is not a precise legal term. A city’s residents typically do not vote to designate their city a “sanctuary city,” but its leader can. A city, town or county (or, in the case of California, a state) is designated as a “sanctuary” because it directs (or asks) local law enforcement not to…

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a branch of the United States Department of Homeland Security, detains people either who are residing in the US without valid documentation or who have committed a crime while holding a green card or visa. Once ICE is involved, the challenges grow for the person detained, and for his…

For non-citizen residents of the United States, committing a crime often results in serious financial, legal, and immigration-status consequences. The nature and circumstances of the specific crime, however, impacts the outcome and, perhaps more crucially, determines whether it results in deportation. There are three main categories of deportable offenses: those related to immigration and security…

President Trump signed two executive orders in January that allow Customs and Border Protection to hire an additional 5,000 agents, and for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hire an additional 10,000. The goal is to provide more resources to the Department of Homeland Security to remove any undocumented individuals and families living in the United…

The last few months have been turbulent. Many immigrants have expressed fear, sadness and anger over the proposed immigration plans coming out of the White House, and over the executive orders and travel bans. Now, more than ever, it is important to know your rights You have the right to remain silent. You do not…

In his presidential campaign, then-candidate Donald Trump repeatedly told audiences that he would build a wall on the southern United States border, take a hard look at and block certain refugees from coming to the United States, and change immigration laws and policies. In the first days of his Presidency, President Trump has begun efforts…

If you are a non-citizen charged with a crime and are being held in jail, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency can issue an Immigration Detainer, also known as an “ICE hold.” The ICE hold requires the law enforcement agency, in whose custody you are being held, to detain or hold you for an…

Immigrants with criminal records will soon come under increased scrutiny. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to deport millions of immigrants with criminal records. In a televised interview, Mr. Trump said, “What we are going to do is get the people that are criminals and have criminal records, gang members, drug dealers, we have a lot…