1. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REVEAL YOUR IMMIGRATION STATUS.
2. DO NOT TALK TO THE INS, EVEN ON THE PHONE, before talking to an immigration
lawyer.
Many INS officers view "enforcement," meaning deporting people, as
their primary job. They do not believe
that explaining immigration options is part of their job, and most will
readily admit this. (Non-citizens who are
victims of domestic abuse should speak with an expert in both immigration law
and domestic violence.) A
non-citizen should always speak with an immigration law expert before speaking
to the INS either in person or
by telephone.
3. KNOW AND ASSERT YOUR RIGHTS!
All non-citizens have the following rights, regardless of your immigration
status:
1. The right to speak to an attorney before answering any questions or signing
any documents;
2. The right to a hearing with an Immigration Judge;
3. The right to have an attorney at that hearing and in any interview with INS
(however you do not have
the right to a free, government-paid lawyer); and
4. The right to request release from detention, by paying a bond if necessary.
Non-citizens must assert these rights. If you do not demand these rights, you
can be deported without
seeing either an attorney or a judge. Leaving the U. S. in this way may have
serious consequences for
your ability to later enter or to gain legal immigration status in the U. S.
4. TALK TO AN IMMIGRATION LAWYER BEFORE LEAVING THE U. S. Anyone not a U. S.
citizen may be barred from coming back to the U. S. if they fall into certain
categories of people barred from
entering. This includes some lawful permanent residents and applicants for
green cards. Some noncitizens
that have been in the U. S. without INS permission may be permanently barred
from re-entering. In addition,
some non-citizens that leave the US and return with INS permission may be
swiftly removed from the U. S. if
they end up in immigration proceedings.
Contact Sikh Media watch & Resource Taskforce at 1-877-91-SIKHS if you have any questions.