The Trump Administration has recently expanded the powers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to allow ICE officers the authority to arrest and deport individuals who cannot prove that they have been in the U.S. for at least two years. Generally, before a person can be deported (now known as removal), an individual has the right to his or her day in court. Under the fast-track removal process, also known as expedited removal, individuals can now be removed without a hearing before a judge if they cannot provide an immigration officer with sufficient documentation showing that they are legally in the country or have been in the country for at least two years.

Fast-track deportation or expedited removal is not new. However, expedited removal was limited in scope prior to the recent expansion. Before, individuals could be removed at the border under expedited removal. If an individual was apprehended entering the country illegally, he or she could also be subject to expedited removal. Finally, expedited removal was also possible if a person was apprehended within 100 miles of the Mexican or Canadian border during the first 14 days of entering. However, under the new expanded powers, immigration officers may be able to subject more individuals to the expedited removal process across the country because undocumented individuals apprehended anywhere in the country can be subject to the fast-track removal process if  in the U.S. less than 2 years.

Many pro-immigration groups, including the ACLU believe that this new policy may be denying individuals their due rights. After all, if a person doesn’t have documentation when apprehended and they are subsequently removed in error, they could potentially lose the ability to stay in the country. The ability to fight removal in court is an important one that allows individuals to provide a judge with their documentation. Court hearings also allow individuals the ability to show potential changes in circumstance. Pro-immigrants’ rights groups worry that the expedited removal process might target individuals who have a legal right to be in the country, if they are targeted or arrested in error.

Essentially, if ICE apprehends individuals who cannot prove that they have been in the U.S. for at least two years, Immigration and Customs Enforcement now has the authority to arrest and deport these individuals. J. Joseph Cohen is a deportation attorney in San Antonio, Texas who may be able to assist you if you are facing deportation. If your loved one has been arrested or apprehended, you may want to speak to a deportation lawyer as soon as possible. J. Joseph Cohen can help you understand your various options and rights under the law.

How You Can Protect Yourself Under the Trump Administration’s Expanded Deportations

This is a very frightening time for noncitizens and their families. If you are in the country, legally, you may want to carry copies of your documentation with you at all times. Otherwise, if you are ever questioned by immigration officers and don’t have this documentation, you could face arrest or even the possibility of expedited removal. If you don’t have documentation that you are legally present in the U.S., you may need to carry evidence supporting that you have been in the U.S. for at least the past two years. This can include stamps on your passport showing when you entered the country, IDs, or other documents showing that you have been continuously present in the U.S. for at least two years. That said, if you don’t have your documentation in order, showing continuous presence can be challenging. Contact J. Joseph Cohen, an immigration lawyer in San Antonio, Texas today who may be able to help you understand what steps you might be able to take to protect your rights.

If you are ever questioned by immigration officers, don’t lie, and never present false documents. Assert your right to remain silent, and ask to speak to your immigration lawyer. J. Joseph Cohen is a deportation lawyer in San Antonio, Texas who may be able to handle any questions immigration officers might ask you.

Finally, if you are at home and immigration officers show up at your door, you do not have to open the door unless the officers have a warrant that is signed by a court judge, not an employee of ICE. Know your rights. If you are concerned about your immigration status or your rights, contact a deportation lawyer at J. Joseph Cohen in San Antonio, Texas today.

Protect Yourself and Your Family

Fear of deportation can be crippling. The best way to combat this is to be armed with information and supporting documentation to protect you should you ever be questioned by ICE. J. Joseph Cohen is a deportation lawyer in San Antonio, Texas who works hard to defend noncitizens’s rights and to provide them with the most up-to-date information available about the Trump Administration’s changing policies on immigration. Contact our firm today to learn more about your options and rights under the law.