San Antonio Immigration Law Blog

Since President Trump took office in 2017, he has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been taking tougher action to find and remove undocumented immigrants from the country. For the millions of undocumented immigrants who have made the U.S. their home, this change has created an atmosphere of fear.

One way in which this situation creates increased uncertainty is the fact that ICE does not make public its changing operational tactics. Thus, it is difficult for immigrants to discern which types of communication from alleged ICE officials is legitimate and which is fraudulent.

Immigration continues to be a hot topic throughout Texas as it is across the country. Many people remain under scrutiny by the federal government regardless of their immigration status. Even people with permanent resident status may not be safe.

This has created an atmosphere of trepidation, anxiety and fear in many communities, including San Antonio. It is an unfortunate fact that whenever people are fearful or desperately in need of help, others will take advantage of that fact in an attempt to make a quick buck. Immigration scams have always been around, but at present, they may appear to be on the rise. Knowing what to watch for could protect you and protect your rights.

Last week, the story of a courageous woman who confronted a border patrol officer on a greyhound bus went viral on social media. The woman—and American citizen—was traveling from California to Nevada. At the state border, it is customary to go through a checkpoint to ensure that no one is carrying any fruit over state lines. In this instance, however, border patrol authorities boarded the bus and demanded to see the passengers’ documentation.

The woman stood up and shouted that what the authorities was doing was illegal, and that no one had to comply with the request. She loudly confronted the officers, accusing them of harassment and racial profiling. She pointed out that border patrol has no right to randomly check anyone’s personal papers if they’re more than 100 miles from an international border.

Since taking office in 2017, President Trump has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration. He has proposed and implemented many controversial measures to reduce the number of undocumented immigrants seeking to reside in the U.S.

In May, the administration announced a “zero tolerance” policy, which mandates the detention and criminal prosecution of all undocumented adult migrants coming across the border. Any migrants traveling with children are detained separately. The policy applies not only to migrants attempting to illegally enter the country, but also to families who are seeking asylum—which is a legal reason for entry.