TRAVEL ADVISORY
Although you may be approved for a travel document or advanced parole to leave the country, you may still encounter a three- or ten-year bar upon re-entry to the United States. It is imperative that you are knowledgeable of your traveling capabilities. Please consult an immigration legal professional about traveling before leaving the country.
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is for foreign nationals currently residing in the US whose homeland conditions are recognized by the US government as being temporarily unsafe or overly dangerous to return to (e.g., war, earthquake, flood, drought, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions). TPS does not lead to permanent resident status. Also, TPS alone does not give you the right to travel abroad. As the name indicates, TPS is temporary, granted anywhere from 6-18 months, with extensions.
Should you have any questions, please consult with an attorney. For more information, consult the
USCIS website.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS - What to do if you are stopped by the police, immigration agents, or the FBI
All individuals residing in the United States have certain rights regardless of their immigration status. To read more about these rights and to learn what to do if stopped by the police, immigration agents, or the FBI, consult this manual published by CASA of Maryland (Spanish version here), or watch this
video produced by the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.
Catholic Charities Hogar Immigrant Services – Legal offers “Know Your Rights” presentations which include materials to prepare in case of an emergency. Please refer to the attached packet to use for information and
planning purposes. Additional information can be found here.
NOTARIOS
In Latin America, a “notario público,” refers to a highly trained attorney who performs many of the services an attorney in the United States does. However, a “notary public” in the United States has a much different role than those in Latin America. They cannot give legal advice to clients. People who exploit this confusion and falsely represent themselves as “notarios” victimize thousands of immigrants.
Common schemes by “notarios” include promising a quick work permit, filing a fraudulent asylum application leading to an order of deportation, filing petitions for people barred by law from getting the benefit they seek and falsely representing to immigrants that they can reduce sentences/convictions. Their practices jeopardize immigrants’ status because they lack substantive knowledge of relevant issues and are often unable to stay abreast of the frequent changes in immigration law.
Learn more at
StopNotarioFraud.org
To read more about choosing a proper legal representative, visit
americanlaw.com.
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