Over the past several months, ICE has arrested hundreds, if not thousands, of people at their green card interview or initial hearing with an Immigration Judge. Why is this happening?
ICE has issued a list of reasons which will support such an arrest. Potential reasons for an arrest include:
- Individuals with prior removal orders from an Immigration Judge
- Criminal history for deportable or excludable offenses
- Fraud or misrepresentation in the past with a US consulate, federal agency, etc.
- Prior negative immigration actions such as denied petitions or applications, failure to attend interviews, etc.
If you fall into any of these categories, you MUST consult with a Board-Certified immigration attorney before you take any action with the Immigration Service or Immigration Judge. This includes travel outside the US even if you have traveled before without any problems. This is an entirely new enforcement world, so past actions by the government no longer matter.
Contact a Board-Certified immigration attorney about these issues if they may apply to you.
