Why American Citizens Should Be Concerned about Deportation Hearings

The Obama administration predicts that 90,000 illegal immigrants may be apprehended this year. Most of the new illegal immigrants are either unaccompanied minors or mothers with small children. Public reaction to the problem has ranged from sympathy for the illegal immigrants to open hostility. Most concerns about surge are focused on economic or humanitarian issues.

However, the illegal immigration question has opened up questions about other areas of the law:

• Refugee and Asylums – Most of the minors coming from Central and Southern American could qualify for refugee status, although it is unknown how many of the stories are actually authentic. Deportation proponents might try to change the law regarding refugees and political asylum in an effect to keep the newcomers out. However, that could have ramifications for people who are actually fleeing from political oppression or natural disasters.
• Immigration Court Backlogs – Immigration courts are notoriously slow. Between the mountains of paperwork and low budgets, getting through the immigration system is slower than a glacial moving downstream. The recent influx of cases could mean that your petition for your relative’s entry into the country could be backlogged.
• Erosion of Due Process – Proponents of deportation might question why illegal immigrants should have rights like due process. The reason is that the Constitution confers rights onto persons, regardless of immigration status. If Homeland Security is willing to deport immigrants without trial, the federal government could ignore due process for citizens as well.
• Erosion of Equal Protection – The government should stop illegal immigration, but it should not make the mistake of confusing ethnicity or race with immigration status. Ferguson exposed the fact that racial tensions still exist, but we shouldn’t assume that racial profiling is limited to African Americans.

If you are involved in or are facing immigration proceedings, you should seek the advice and representation of an immigration attorney. Having an attorney represent you is critical since your immigration status could be at stake.