What “mass deportations” might look like
President-elect Donald Trump has threatened our immigrant communities by promising “mass deportations.” One of the ways the Trump administration may do this is the “expedited removal” program, combined with raids in neighborhoods and workplaces. Expedited removal, allows an immigration officer to quickly deport individuals without due process if the government can prove that they entered the United States without inspection and have been in the country for less than two years. People deported under expedited removal may be detained and deported without appearing before an immigration judge.
Other immigrants – regardless of how long they have been in the United States – may also experience immigration enforcement and removal. Anyone without secure immigration status may be subject to enforcement efforts. People who were ordered deported in the past and people who have had contact with the criminal legal system are at increased risk.
What can you do to protect yourself or your family?
1. Seek a legal consultation
2. Create a safety plan
• Identify your emergency contacts and memorize their phone numbers.
• Provide your child’s school or day care with an emergency contact to pick up your child.
• Provide authorization in writing for your emergency contact to make medical and legal decisions for your child.
• Tell your loved ones that if you are detained by ICE, they can try to use ICE’s online detainee locator to find you: https://locator.ice.gov/odls/#/search
3. Collect your documents in a safe place
• Keep your identity information and financial information in a safe location.
• Gather documents showing the length of time you have been in the United States; the most recent two years are most important. This can include U.S. income tax returns, utility bills, leases, school records, medical records, bank records, or other documents.
• Make sure your emergency contact can access all of these documents.
4. Avoid immigration fraud
• Only seek legal advice from an attorney or an accredited representative at a Department of Justice-recognized nonprofit organization.
• Lawyers must have a license from a U.S. state to practice law. Ask to see their law license. Law licenses from other countries do not authorize the practice of law in the United States.
• Accredited representatives must be accredited and work for a nonprofit agency recognized by the Department of Justice. Ask to see their accreditation documents.
• Never sign an application with false information.
• Never sign a blank form.
• Ask for copies of everything you sign.
• If the advice sounds too good to be true, get a second opinion before filing an immigration application.
5. Be alert for digital scams
• Be skeptical of social media posts promising new or quick immigration relief.
• The U.S. government (including Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and State Department) will never contact you via WhatsApp or social media.
• With limited exceptions, such as people who are released from detention and told they must check in with ICE via telephone, the U.S. government generally does not contact individuals by phone.
• If you receive an unexpected message or phone call from someone who claims they are an immigration officer or other government official, do not respond or share personal information. Do not wire or transfer money to pay a “processing fee” or for any other reason.
• If in doubt, consult an attorney or accredited representative before taking any action.
• Avoid sharing unverified information on social media