President Trump used his speech to a joint session of Congress to outline a number of his directives for the next year. While the speech was not officially a State of the Union address, he spoke on several topics that have garnered concern since he was elected in November.
On immigration, Trump reported that he will direct the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to enforce the country’s existing immigration laws, and that he will break the network of criminal cartels that have spread across the nation.
While such rhetoric undoubtedly sounds good to Trump’s conservative base, the overall directives from his administration still worries many as undocumented immigrants who have no criminal connections are still being detained.
The latest example is the controversy surrounding the detention of a 22-year old woman who recently spoke at a rally. According to an ABC News.com report, the woman was in the process of renewing her credentials under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Act (DACA) when she was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Jackson, Mississippi. She and friend were stopped shortly after she spoke at the rally.
It remains to be seen whether the woman will be charged with a crime, be subject to deportation proceedings, or be released. Nevertheless, it is yet another example of the importance of having an experienced immigration attorney to guide you when law enforcement agents detain you in the course of “enforcing existing immigration laws.”
The preceding is not legal advice.