These days, traveling through airports and other ports of entry can sometimes be stressful, especially for lawful permanent residents (LPRs) who are worried about detention or questioning by immigration authorities. In times of uncertainty, it is productive to focus on the facts and rules. Learn what immigration law says about when a lawful permanent resident might be detained after travel outside of the United States. Trust reliable sources, and avoid fake news. See the att

We published a post on our Instagram site about the dangers of the current administration's intention to expand its use of "Expedited Removal" or " ER. " (Please see the Ig post for more on what ER is.) What has transpired since then is that ICE has started, in various parts of the country, to arrest individuals when they are at their Immigration Court hearings. Expedited Removal is a completely different immigration process than Immigration Court. While there was some conce

We've received several consultation requests over the past several weeks, with callers asking some form of the same question: Is it safe to travel in today's immigration climate? Many of these callers have lawful permanent residency status (aka "green cards"). Some of them are in valid non-immigrant status. Answering this question requires a nuanced understanding of various factors, including your immigration status, immigration history, criminal history (if any), and somet

In a split decision yesterday, the Ninth Circuit ruled that, where someone in removal proceedings misses court due to being stuck in traffic, and is subsequently ordered removed in absentia , the situation can warrant reopening of the removal proceeding and require the Immigration Judge to rescind the removal order. The ruling deviates from prior precedent. Having experienced San Francisco Bay Area traffic for nearly 20 years, I thought this was a San Francisco case, but it c

One of the most stressful immigration processes is when you (or a loved one) is in immigration court. A removal proceeding (previously known as a "deportation" proceeding) is, by its nature, the end of the line for most people. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (" ICE ," the immigration enforcement arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security) knows about you, they want to remove you from the United States, and they are litigating before an immigration judge to get

Yesterday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a win for asylum applicants facing a fear of persecution based on cartel violence in Mexico. Not only is this a good decision for the highly complex "particular social group" analysis in asylum and withholding claims, the Court included excellent language on the requirement that the Board and immigration judge must consider all relevant evidence in the record. Read the full decision here: Meza Diaz v. Garland , No. 23-973

Perhaps the most stressful of immigration cases are those where a loved one has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (" ICE "). The inevitable first question I hear is: "Can we get a bond hearing?" The person is needed back at work or at home. Unfortunately, the answer to this question is not always "yes." This is why I wanted to help update an article published by Nolo Press on ICE detention generally, and to answer the question: Can you get a bond hear