At Reeves Immigration Law Group, we handle cases in all avenues of immigration law: family-based, employment-based, business and investments, deportation defense, naturalization, appeals and federal litigation. The cases are very different but a common theme that runs through how we handle them is: never give up.
On October 2, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began implementation of its new mandatory in-person interview requirement for certain applicants seeking permanent residency.
As anticipated, the Trump Administration, through Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced today the end of the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (commonly known as “DACA”) program with a six-month delay for enactment. The delay is to allow Congress to enact legislation that will address the immigration status of those currently in the DACA program. Whether Congress will take any steps in this regard and, if so, what steps they will be are questions to which no one has answers right now.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials met last week to review and discuss the fate of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provides immigration relief to certain young people who entered the country as children. Following last week’s meeting, reports have surfaced stating that the DACA program is in serious jeopardy and that a decision from President Trump ending DACA is imminent.
President Trump’s words and proposed actions are terrifying to many people in the U.S. There are large numbers of people who are scared that they will be put in jail or deported because of their lack of valid immigration status. There are also many other people who are fearful of what may happen to their friends and family members.
Your green card identifies you as a “lawful permanent resident” (LPR) of the United States, but that does not guarantee you a lifetime right to live in this country. There are several ways a person can lose LPR status. Once LPR status is lost, your green card will be cancelled (even if the card itself has not yet expired) and you can be deported from the United States or refused re-entry after a trip abroad. Even if you are permitted to reenter the country in order to fight for your status, you may be taken into custody and remain there until the question of your status is resolved. Unlike those with LPR status, United States citizenship cannot be involuntarily taken unless it is found that either the green card or citizenship was obtained through fraud.
The ability to lawfully live and work in the United States is a dream of so many people. The fulfillment of this dream requires the aspiring immigrant to navigate the United States’ immigration laws, which are considered to be a very confusing and complex area of law. However, despite this complexity, and the incredible importance placed on being granted permanent resident status or U.S. citizenship, countless numbers of aspiring immigrants attempt to achieve their immigration goals without the assistance of an experienced attorney who specializes in immigration law. Sure some may indeed succeed, but many others do not; and this failure may lead to their ultimate nightmare – being deported.
It is well known that there are limited ways of lawfully residing in the U.S. It is most commonly allowed on the basis of family relationships or on the foreign national possessing certain employment stills. This has been relatively constant over the years. However, it appears that there is a new way for people to potentially reside in the U.S. with valid immigration status.