Immigration law has been a hot button topic in the United States for years. As such, Washington, D.C. has seen its fair share of headlines concerning immigration law and immigrant rights. Recently, a coalition of civil liberties and a number of immigrant rights advocates were the focus of a news report highlighting their desire to prohibit law enforcement agencies from radical profiling against immigrants.
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Family advocacy group asks President to stop deportation
Family advocacy group asks President to stop deportation
The current debate regarding immigration policy is also a family issue. Many in Maryland will remember the story of one son and mother which came under the national spotlight when the mother attempted to avoid deportation by taking sanctuary in a church. The teenager was born in the United States and, therefore, a citizen, however his mother was an undocumented immigrant who ended up being deported after she left the protection of the church in order to lobby to be allowed to stay in the country.
Lawsuit: U.S. immigration authorities forced voluntary departures
When immigrants in Maryland and throughout the U.S. agree to a voluntary departure in order to avoid a formal deportation order, they are also agreeing not to return to the U.S. for up to 10 years. There are harsh penalties immigrants may face if they are deported, which is why some immigrants do agree to voluntarily leave the U.S. when faced with the possibility of being deported. But for many folks who have families and jobs they enjoy, not being able to re-enter the U.S. for up to 10 years would be devastating, and they would much rather work with an attorney to fight to stay in the country.
