The Boulder Suspect’s Family Faces Deportation. What Rights Do They Have?

Steve Yale-Loehr was quoted by the Washington Post in The Boulder Suspect’s Family Faces Deportation. What Rights Do They Have? The article notes that people who have applied for asylum are generally protected from deportation while their cases are pending. However, Steve noted, “It’s a gray area because filing for asylum doesn’t give you formal status. But until this administration, they would not be a target of deportation.” He said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement routinely arrests family members together for civil immigration violations in “collateral pickups.” Typically, he said, “what they will do is target one individual because they have a criminal arrest or conviction, and then when they go to their address, they happen to find other people who are out of status.” He said the grounds of deportability “apply to anyone who is not a naturalized U.S. citizen.” Steve noted that being found deportable can lead to removal proceedings in immigration court, although individuals may be eligible to apply for relief depending on their circumstances. He also said that while overstaying a visitor visa is a civil violation and not a criminal offense, it can carry serious consequences.