Calm Before the Storm: Preparing for the Implementation of Trump Administration Executive Orders and Tough Policy on Enforcement against Immigration Violators

Since taking office the Trump Administration has issued several “Executive Orders” related to Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Policies.

These Executive Orders signal the following changes in immigration policy ad enforcement:

• Increasing arrests and detention of all immigration violators, making those with criminal arrests, convictions and deportation orders top priority.
• Securing the borders by building a wall along the southern border and hiring additional ICE- Customs Border Protection Agents.
• Conducting workplace inspections and enforcement of immigration policies and regulations in the workplace.
• Increasing expedited (immediate removal) of persons found to have entered the U.S. illegally.
• Limiting or eliminating deferred action programs such as DACA and limiting stays of removal to aliens with documented humanitarian grounds.

The important question is how should the immigrant and undocumented community react to these changes in immigration policies and practices which essentially promise a “storm of immigration enforcement”?

As an attorney, whose practice is solely dedicated to Immigration & Nationality Law, I recommend remaining calm and beginning intense preparation prior to the arrival of the full force of this impending Immigration Enforcement Storm.

This means, just like preparing for a tropical storm, which all those who live in South Florida a very familiar with, one needs to take the following preparatory action:

• Have a copy of your personal documents and immigration records at hand.
• Seek a consultation with an attorney experienced in the practice of immigration law to review your status and case to determine your best short-term and long- term strategy to legalize your immigration status.

Important Note: Do no rely on the advice of friends, family or notaries or base your action on “rumors” being spread in the community.

• Know your rights in case you are confronted by immigration officials at home or your place of business.
• Take recommended action by preparing or having your attorney prepare the appropriate forms and documents in support of your case.
• Wait for the storm and be ready to execute your prepared strategies in response to all eventualities.

Keynote:  Preparatory Action means taking immediate action (now) before the storm hits to survive the storm.

This means securing your important documents, valuables, buying supplies and putting up your hurricane shutters.

In the immigration context, it means securing your documents, hiring an immigration attorney to review and file any necessary petitions, and being prepared for whatever happens i.e. an enforcement action, an interview, an immigration court hearing etc.

To the contrary, this does not mean waiting until one is arrested or detained or being deported to start gathering documents and attempting to contact an attorney in a last-ditch effort to change one’s fate.

It is the same as putting up your hurricane shutters in advance of the storm rather than going out in the storm to try to put them up.

For more information related to this article or for a free consultation to discuss your immigration case and prepare your immigration strategy call 786-200-3088 or write us at info@crocelegal.com