Erosion
Today, I worked on two cases that are prime examples of the erosion of immigration services under the Trump Administration. So that you can understand some of the subtle changes that are being made to hurt our immigrant community, I am going to share these scenarios and maybe, cases like these will encourage you to show up at the voting booth, or encourage others who are eligible to vote, to do so.
First, an Indian man who is married to a U.S. citizen and needs a Waiver for Unlawful Presence. Normally, a waiver could be filed, approved, and then, he would have to go back to India to have his interview. The Trump Administration has decided that Immigration Judges can no longer temporarily close removal cases, and this Indian man is in removal. The waiver application requires that the removal process be closed. So... this client is not eligible for a waiver. This means that the married couple will be separated for 2+ years, at a minimum, and their child will grow up without a father present.
Second, we have many applications that we file for victims of violent crimes and domestic violence, often with a request to waive the filing fees, because the family is at the poverty level. There has been a recent reversal in policy within Immigration on these fee waivers, with many of them being denied. For a family struggling through recovery from a violent crime, the filing fees can be an invisible wall, preventing the application from getting filed and the benefits received.
My word for the day “erosion” applies to these situations. Rights under our current immigration law are being eroded away. Please call your Congressional offices to speak up for our immigrant community.
