Resources
Immigrant Safety
If you have no legal status in the U.S., you might be at risk of deportation. Here are steps to take to protect yourself and your family:
- Have an individualized assessment with an immigration attorney to see if you have any viable immigration options they can act upon.
- Learn your rights so you know what you should and shouldn't say to law enforcement.
- Have an action plan to hire legal counsel in case you are detained.
- Prepare legal guardianship paperwork to provide for the care of minor children should their parents be detained.
Most reputable immigration attorneys are members of AILA (American Immigration Lawyers Association), which is a national group with a public directory. This should help you find some local attorneys. Search by location and specialty because the field of immigration law is so diverse. The immigration attorneys who might be most useful will specialize in deportation/removal defense, asylum, and family-based immigration.