Wednesday, October 13, 2010

"Culture of fear" prompts immigrants to seek US immigration legal advice

Undocumented US residents, concerned about the crackdown on illegal immigrants, are consulting lawyers to draw up legal documents in case they are deported

According to a report by USA Today, attorneys in New Mexico, Arizona and Texas say they are being approached by illegal immigrants to create documents detailing what should happen to their families and belongings if they are deported.

"There's a culture of fear out there," said Jason Mills, a Fort Worth immigration attorney. Mills said such inquiries had only started this year since the introduction of tougher US immigration laws.

Children being stranded at school when parents were arrested at work, and wives unable to access a deported husband’s bank account, were two examples of why the legal documents were necessary.

The recent “culture of fear” has grown in the past 12 months since US immigration officials increased deportations to a record 392,000.

Creating the most concern have been recent Arizona laws, allowing police to check the immigration status of anyone they suspected of being illegal. Reports suggest more than a dozen other states are considering similar laws.

By Mario Hannah

Source: Global Visas

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