Immigration

The last few months have been turbulent. Many immigrants have expressed fear, sadness and anger over the proposed immigration plans coming out of the White House, and over the executive orders and travel bans. Now, more than ever, it is important to know your rights You have the right to remain silent. You do not…

In his presidential campaign, then-candidate Donald Trump repeatedly told audiences that he would build a wall on the southern United States border, take a hard look at and block certain refugees from coming to the United States, and change immigration laws and policies. In the first days of his Presidency, President Trump has begun efforts…

If you are a non-citizen charged with a crime and are being held in jail, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency can issue an Immigration Detainer, also known as an “ICE hold.” The ICE hold requires the law enforcement agency, in whose custody you are being held, to detain or hold you for an…

Immigrants with criminal records will soon come under increased scrutiny. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to deport millions of immigrants with criminal records. In a televised interview, Mr. Trump said, “What we are going to do is get the people that are criminals and have criminal records, gang members, drug dealers, we have a lot…

In November 2016, Donald Trump was elected President of the United States. His four-year term as President begins in January 2017.  When campaigning for the Presidency, Mr. Trump repeatedly pledged to build a wall between Mexico and the U.S. and to make Mexico pay for it; furthermore, he took a hard line on immigration, which,…

In the last few years, 25 different states have changed their laws about marijuana. Some have completely legalized it, and others have made exceptions for the use of marijuana for medical use only. In Tennessee, however, the laws have not changed: it is illegal to possess, sell, buy or distribute marijuana in the state. Even…

In 2014, President Obama tried to ease fears of immigrants by promising to focus on the removal of criminals from the U.S., and not families who have built their lives across the country: “Felons, not families. Criminals, not children. Gang members, not a mom who’s working hard to provide for her kids.” Two years later,…

On August 18, 2016, the Justice Department announced that it would no longer use private prisons to house people convicted of federal crimes. The Washington Post reported that private prison facilities were “both less safe and less effective” than prisons run by the government. This decision however, for complicated legal reasons, does not affect state-run…

Many immigrants who come to the United States as children serve honorably as members of the military. However, being a military veteran is not necessarily enough to keep you from facing removal charges from the United States if you are charged with and/or convicted of a crime after your return to civilian life. The American…