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Immigrants, Refugees and

Undocumented People

2025

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MILWAUKEE TURNERS

Photo credit: On Milwaukee. com

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Founded in 1853 by refugees and immigrants, the Milwaukee Turners are dedicated to fostering "A Sound Mind in a Sound Body" through an array of diverse programs in physical education, public forums, music and art events.

We lead with the guiding principles of:

Liberty against all oppression.

Tolerance against all fanaticism.

Reason against all superstition.

Justice against all exploitation.

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This training is free. Please share so long as you do so freely and give credit to the Turners team that created it.

There is a lot we don’t know yet about the new administration’s plans.

Let’s center humanity and dignity.

This will affect families, communities, industry, agriculture, the medical field, schools, the courts, and add to mass incarceration.

This will be disruptive, painful and expensive.

But we can make it through in community.

There is a lot in this training

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Take what you need to build what you want with your community

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Most resources have QR codes

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What groups does this impact?

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• Immigrants
• Refugees
• Undocumented People
• DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)
• DALE (Deferred Action for Labor Enforcement)
• Temporary and permanent immigrant workers (H-1B, H-2A, EB-3, others)
• Visiting students (J-1 exchange, F-1 undergrad and grad degree students, etc.)
• Inter-country or Transnational Adoptees
• Mixed Status Families
• Legal Permanent Residents (“Green Card”)
• Naturalized Citizens
• Pending Status (including applying for asylum)

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Defining Terms - Many different people will be affected

• Immigrants: Anyone who comes to our country from another country and hopes to be a resident.

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• Refugees: A person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster. (There is a specific legal definition)

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• Undocumented People: A person who resides in the United States without legal status.

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• Pending Status: A person awaiting legal immigration status or an adjustment in status.

Groups defined

Groups defined cont’d…

• DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals): DACA is an administrative relief that protects eligible immigrants who came to the United States when they were children from deportation.

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• DALE (Deferred Action for Labor Enforcement): A temporary immigration benefit that allows certain immigrant workers to work in the United States and seek legal status.

Groups defined cont’d…

• Naturalized Citizens: a lawful permanent resident granted US citizenship after meeting the requirements established by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
• Lawful Permanent Resident: a foreign national who is lawfully authorized to live permanently within the United States. Also known as “green card” holders, LPRs, or Resident Aliens.
• Students
• Visiting exchange students
• Degree-seeking students

Resources for University Students

• Immigration Status Stress from Marquette University-Resources

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• https://www.marquette.edu/education/centers-and-clinics-research/immigration-status-stress.php

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• Resources from UWM for LGBTQ+ immigrants, DACA, Financial resources and Know Your Rights Cards

https://uwm.edu/community-empowerment-institutional-inclusivity/services/roberto-hernandez-center/resources/undocu-daca-resources/�

• Resources from UW-Madison https://dreamers.law.wisc.edu/

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Groups defined cont’d…

• Transnational or International Adoptees - children who are adopted to US families from other countries
• There were over 200,000 internationally adopted children in the US in 2010. This is down to 1,517 in 2023, due to more restrictive laws in many countries of origin
• Intercountry adoptees who were under 18 in 2001 automatically have US citizenship; parents adopting children internationally before then did not always complete the necessary paperwork, resulting in many adoptees having uncertain status

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• Mixed Status Families - Families where one or more people may have US citizenship or other legal status and other family members do not
• There are approximately 4.7 million mixed status families in the US
• Tom Homan, who has been named as Trump’s “border czar,” has said, “Families can be deported together.”
• Forms for Adoptees: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/Intercountry-Adoption/post-adoption/adoptees.html

Each status has different legal and social implications…

• The US has a violent history with immigration, race and religion. �
• There are different tasks people need to accomplish for legal residency or citizenship. Even if you are the same status as someone else, you may need to do different things to attain residency or citizenship�
• Find trusted legal or professional assistance
• There are a lot of con artists and greedy people hoping to profit on your situation.

Immigration Stats in Wisconsin

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Immigration Population in Wisconsin

• 5% of Wisconsinites are immigrants. Approximately 1 in 20.

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• There are approximately 308,800 documented immigrants in Wisconsin. (American Immigration Council)

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• There are an estimated 70,000 additional undocumented immigrants in Wisconsin with 56,000 from Mexico and Central America.

12,000 from Asia. 5,000 from Europe. (Graph in next slide)

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Immigration Population in Wisconsin

70,000

56,000

12,000

5,000

Immigration Population in Wisconsin

• Immigrants paid $3 billion in federal, state and local taxes in 2022, and held $3.3 billion in spending power.

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• 17.9 percent of Wisconsin's population growth from 2010 to 2022 was attributable to immigrants, helping offset population declines in rural areas.

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• Immigrants can’t use social security benefit payouts that they pay into

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• Immigrants pay all sorts of taxes - sales, property, etc.

Wisconsin Immigrants in Education

• 10,000 undocumented young people in Wisconsin are eligible for DACA, only 5,790 are DACA enrolled

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• Approximately 926 DACA students are enrolled in higher education in Wisconsin

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• 18,000 Wisconsin college students are 1st generation immigrants

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• 15,587 Wisconsin college students are 2nd generation immigrants

There are many different forms to fill out…

Get the forms from an immigration lawyer or the sites listed in this training.

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• Don’t use a notario!
• Some good resources listed at end

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What government agencies will I interact with?

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• DHS - Department of Homeland Security

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• USCIS - US Citizenship and Immigration Services
• Generally helpful - provide immigration services

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• ICE - Immigration and Customs Enforcement
• Enforce immigration law inside the US

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• CBP - Customs and Border Protection
• Enforce immigration law at and near borders

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• County Sheriff’s Department

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• Local Police Department

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Government Agencies

CBP Officers

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Begun in 2003 in the Directorate for Border and Transportation Security, Department of Homeland Security

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From their website:

Officers inspect merchandise, agriculture, luggage, and people coming into and out of the United States, intercepting drugs, weapons, and other illegal goods before they get into the wrong hands and stopping people from trying to illegally enter the country. Some CBP Officers work in different countries.

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They are also stationed at ports of entry. There are seven in Wisconsin.

Milwaukee, Racine, Green Bay, Marinette, Manitowoc, Sheboygan Falls, Appleton

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https://www.cbp.gov/about/contact/ports/WI

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Customs and Border Protection

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

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Can be dedicated immigration detention facilities, but usually regular jails or prisons

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• There are currently 43,759 people in ICE Detention across the US
• www.ice.gov/detain/detention-management#stats
• When attending Immigration Court bring an attorney.
• Your family can FIND OUT where you are detained. Online Detainee Locator System at https://locator.ice.gov/odls/#/index. They’ll need your full name and A number. They can also contact the local ICE office or the Detention and Reporting Information Line at 1-888-351-4024.

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Chicago Detained Immigration Court

101 W Congress Parkway�Chicago, IL 60605

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ICE Detention

Kenosha Airport

• Address: 4777 88th Avenue, Kenosha, WI 53144
• Phone: (262) 605-5800
• Website: https://www.kenoshacounty.org/1452/Jail-Information

Kenosha Downtown (also called Kenosha Pretrial)

• Address: 1000 55th St., Kenosha, WI 53140
• Phone: (262) 605-5800
• Website: https://www.kenoshacounty.org/1452/Jail-Information

ICE Detention Sites in Wisconsin

Dodge County Detention Center

• Address: 216 W Center St, Juneau, WI 53039
• Phone (920) 386-3734
• Address: https://www.co.dodge.wi.gov/departments/departments-p-z/sheriff/detention-facility

McHenry County Detention Center

• Address: 2200 Seminary Ave., Woodstock, IL
• Phone: (815) 338-9396
• Website: https://www.mchenrycountyil.gov/county-government/building-info-directions/correctional-facility

ICE Detention Sites in Wisconsin

You have the right to CALL and RECEIVE VISITS from a lawyer, your consulate, and your family once you are detained. Telephone numbers to your consulate are posted in the jail or you can ask the deportation officer for a list. The government will not provide you with a lawyer, so you must call a lawyer

• In most cases, you have the right to ASK FOR BOND to be released from detention. Bond is an amount of money paid to the government to guarantee that you will attend future court hearings in exchange for your release. You can ask ICE to set a bond. If ICE does not set a bond or sets too high an amount, you can ask for a bond hearing with an immigration judge.
• Immigration can request that a jail or prison keep you in custody for an additional 48 hours, excluding weekends and holidays, beyond the date you've been ordered released so that they can arrest you and put you in deportation proceedings. These detainer requests are not criminal warrants, and they can violate the law.

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ICE Detention

Immigrants without a Criminal Record

• According to government statistics people without a criminal record are the largest group of people in ICE Detention
• 16,523 people without a criminal record are in detention
• 15,725 people with a criminal record are in detention
• 13,767 people with pending charges are in detention
• Contradicts the narrative used by the current administration, saying that they are only arresting and deporting dangerous criminals
• Currently there are 59,762 people in ICE Detention
• 300 people including many engineers were arrested by ICE at a Hyundai Factory in Georgia. Even though they were supposed to be there. (8.2025)

ICE - Sensitive Areas List

The following areas have been protected in the past, but either are

not protected anymore or may not be protected moving forward.

(NO LONGER PROTECTED as of 1.21.2025)

• Schools (NO LONGER PROTECTED as of 1.21.2025)
• Places of worship or religious studies (NO LONGER PROTECTED as of 1.21.2025)
• Courts
• Medical or mental healthcare facilities
• Places where children gather
• Social services establishments
• Places where disaster or emergency response/relief is provided
• Places where funerals, graveside ceremonies, rosaries, weddings, or other religious or civil ceremonies or observances occur

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What to do if ICE enters a Sensitive Area:

• ICE needs a judicial warrant to come on any non public space, just like a home or business. They must show it to you. Make sure it’s signed by a JUDGE!
• Record and share all ICE interactions and searches, especially if they are trying to enter premises
• ICE may not enter non public areas of a space like childcare or a church’s sanctuary
• Contact an attorney and immigrant rights group

ICE - Searches and Questioning

• Everyone in the US, regardless of immigration status, is protected against unreasonable searches and seizures under the Fourth Amendment.
• What this means is that ICE cannot enter a home without a judicial warrant (a warrant signed by a judge) or voluntary permission (consent) from an authorized adult. They almost never have a judicial warrant and therefore need consent to legally enter your home.
• ICE agents use ruses (tricks) to get into homes and get information without identifying that they are ICE. They frequently use administrative warrants signed by USCIS officials, which are not the same as judicial warrants and do not give them the right to enter.

ICE - Working with Local LEOs?

• ICE has 287(g) agreements with the Sheriff’s Departments of 13 Wisconsin Counties. And one police department(Palmyra).
• County employees, specifically Sheriffs and deputies, may perform some ICE duties such as detentions.

Waukesha, Sheboygan, Brown, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Marquette, Washington, Winnebago, Waushara, Wood, Calumet, Outagamie, and Kewaunee also have these agreements. Marathon County has a pending agreement.

ICE - Working with Local LEOs?

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• “From Federal Fiscal Year 2021-24, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections and 29 counties received over $7 million in federal funds through the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) in exchange for data sharing with ICE”(per the ACLU). Dane County was largest and they withdrew�
• Warrant Service Model

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• Jail Enforcement Model

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• Task Force Model

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ICE can access law enforcement tech like ALPR and FRT

ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have access to most law enforcement data, records, and resources - explicitly and sneakily.

• Federal government is already taking and doing what they want - as we’ve seen in the news recently.
• Law enforcement officers - like every other human - break the law and do things deceitfully - like trade information like favors “among friends.”

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Definitions: ALPR-Automated License Plate Reader Technology

FRT-Facial Recognition Technology

ICE can access law enforcement tech like ALPR and FRT

• Now we already knew that local police were performing lookups for ICE, but on August 25, 404 Media revealed that “Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regularly searched more than 80,000 Flock automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras” – and it appeared that the police departments didn’t even know they were sharing data with CBP.
• We learned that cops from Georgia, Texas, Illinois and Massachusetts were part of 1.6 million searches of the San Francisco Police Department’s Flock cameras – most likely disregarding local and state guidelines established to prevent this very threat.
• You read that correctly - one million six hundred thousand times SFPD’s camera systems were accessed by other states’ departments - often for helping ICE.

Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo

• This allows law enforcement to use racial profiling to stop a person that they suspect is undocumented in Los Angeles, whether it be based on their physical appearance, talking Spanish or English with an accent, or their location.

• Stay calm. Don’t open your door!
• Don’t allow entrance to your apartment, house or business without a judicial warrant signed by a judge. Don’t open your door - ask to see it through a window or under the door. Where are your public vs private spaces?
• Don’t say anything
• Don’t sign anything - “removal orders” “permission to enter”
• Call your attorney - have an immigration attorney’s number ready
• Don’t put your hands on an officer - don’t be threatening or belligerent
• Don’t lie to an officer
• Don’t have/ give false documents. It’s a crime
• Inform your friends, family and roommates to do the same
• Record the encounter and inform others ASAP afterwards

Know Your Rights During ICE Encounters

Immigrant Defense Project

Ruse means tricks

Immigrant Defense Project

Signed judicial warrant

NEEDED for Valid entry

Know Your Rights - CHIRLA

Administrative Warrant

NOT valid for entry

ICE on Campus

Public university campuses are largely open to the general public.

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ICE may enter areas open to the general public without a warrant.

They need judicial warrants to enter “limited access spaces” such as campus buildings in which access is restricted by university-issued ID card, locked doors or monitored entryways, including the university residence halls. Limited access spaces also include some buildings and spaces that may be unlocked during normal operations, including administrative or faculty offices, classrooms, and laboratories.

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More at: www.neiu.edu/university-life/undocumented-student-resources/resources-and-education/faq-if-ice-comes-campus

ICE on Campus - UWM - 2.10.2025

Outside Agents – Campus Protocol

On Jan. 20, the Department of Homeland Security rescinded prior agency guidance on immigration enforcement actions in “sensitive” areas, which included schools and university campuses. This change in guidance has prompted questions about how to address federal agency enforcement actions on campus. The instructions below apply to any outside government agent requests for information or access to campus spaces, but does not include background check processes, which are managed by and should be referred to UWM’s Public Records Custodian. UWM complies with all applicable laws and is committed to cooperating with law enforcement within the constraints of the law and our own delegated responsibilities.

The following guidance applies to UWM employees.

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ICE on Campus - UWM

If any outside government agent comes to your workplace:

• Be respectful.
• Take enough time for yourself to think through and formulate your answers.
• Ask the agent for their name and to see their government issued badge and photo ID. Most likely the agent will show you their badge without you asking. If not, it is your right to ask for this.
• If the agent approaches a student worker first, the student should immediately get an available supervisor.
• Verify the agent’s identity and agency with badge and agency ID.
• The agents may be federal or state officers, federal or state auditors, or other similarly situated individuals. Ask the agent why they are on campus if they have not shared that information already.
• Explain that you are not authorized to release any information or provide access to non-public spaces without talking to the UWM Police Department and the UWM Office of Legal Affairs.
• Ask the agent to have a seat in a waiting room or lobby. If you do not have such a space, politely ask them to wait where they are while you try to reach the proper contact.
• Call the UWM Police Department at 414-229-4627 and the UWM Office of Legal Affairs at 414-229-4278.

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• Tell the campus officer and UWM attorney the following information: “Agent X from the Department of Y is here asking for Z.”
• DO NOT leave a message with Legal Affairs.
• If no one from Legal Affairs is immediately available, tell the agent that no one is available right now and ask if they can come back another time.
• Do not give the agent access to any paper files, any computer systems, or other information until the UWMPD and/or Legal Affairs can respond.
• Any federal law enforcement requests for private student or employee information must continue to comply with Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and other privacy laws.
• Agents are free to enter any public areas of your workplace but must have a valid search warrant to enter a non-public area. Do not give your consent to enter a non-public area.
• Public areas may include reception, waiting areas and lobbies; open dining areas such as cafeterias; restrooms; and other common areas accessible by members of the public without screening or escort.
• Non-public areas include private offices and laboratories; locked areas; private residential rooms; residence hall areas restricted to residents; classrooms and lecture halls that are currently in use; and other secured or restricted-access areas designated for instructional or research use.

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ICE on Campus - UWM - Search Warrants

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• A valid warrant must be signed and dated by a judge. It will include a period within which the search must be conducted, a description of the premises to be searched, and a list of items to be searched for and seized (e.g., payroll records, employee identification documents, I-9 forms, SSA correspondence, etc.).

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Colleges and Universities

As of April 16, 1300+ international students & recent grads had their visas revoked. (F1 & J1)

Over 50 students from Wisconsin and climbing:

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UW Madison

UW Milwaukee

Milwaukee Area Technical College

Madison Area Technical College

Marquette University

Concordia

Public Schools - MPS Safe Haven Resolution

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• The MPS Safe Haven Resolution designates all MPS sites as a Safe Haven for undocumented students and families. The resolution outlines the steps the district will take to assure students and families that any actions that might be taken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on school grounds will be opposed by all legal means available.
• Milwaukee Public Schools believes in the equitable and fair treatment of all students and families. We welcome individuals of all ethnicities, religions, cultural backgrounds, immigration status, and sexual orientation or identity. In this district, we are all valued and no one is pushed aside; this is a safe haven of learning and support.

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Public Schools - MPS Safe Haven Resolution

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MPS is committed to achieving The Safe Haven resolution by:

• Creating a District Immigration Advisory Group in partnership with community-based organizations.
• Designating a person at every school to serve as a resource to immigrant and undocumented students and families.
• Developing procedures defining the appropriate steps to take if law enforcement comes to a school.
• Continuing to follow the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Their site has resources in English | Spanish | Hmong | Karen | Burmese | Arabic

https://mps.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/en/Families/Family-Services/Safe-Haven.htm

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United States: History With Immigrants

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• Historic Anti-immigration Laws
• Anti-Latino hate (mass deportations in 1930s and 1950s, spikes in 2021 & 2022, Show Me Your Papers Laws)
• Anti-Asian hate (110,000 in Japanese internment camps, Covid)
• Anti-Black hate (Slavery, AIDs epidemic, anti-Blackness, War on Drugs)
• Islamophobia following Iranian Revolution, 9/11, October 7th
• Trump’s no fly list included seven majority-Muslim countries (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen). All major sources of refugees fleeing genuine persecution

US Has a Brutal History with Immigration

US Has a Brutal History with Immigration

US Has a Complicated History with Immigration

• As of 2022 roughly 22 million people residing in the US lacked permanent legal status and run the risk of deportation.
• There are an estimated 11 million undocumented people in the US. Approximately 3.3% of the total population.
• No one knows what a “massive deportation” program might look like.
• Backlog of 3.7 million people waiting for hearings
• Many will occur at the border.
• Probably result from raids and arrests of people with existing warrants first.
• Massive staff shortages of CBP, ICE and Immigration Judges
• Legal challenges will slow process

Economic and Social Cost of “Mass Deportation”

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• The federal government would have to pay expenses associated with arrest, detention, legal processing, and removal.

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• There would also be a huge impact on the US economy and tax base should these people be removed from the labor force and consumer market.

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• A “mass deportation” scenario, which is logistically impossible, would cost over $359 billion dollars. There is no place to hold all of these people pending deportation & courts are backlogged already.

Police and Immigration

Local law enforcement do NOT necessarily work with ICE or CBP on immigration issues. It’s not there job, it’s too expensive, jails are usually overcrowded and it prevents people from coming forward as witnesses or to report crimes.

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Most cities have a standardized operating procedure stating that city or village’s rules for working with immigrants and foreign nationals.

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Milwaukee Police Department SOP 130

https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/mpdAuthors/SOP/130-FOREIGNNATIONALS-DIPLOMATICIMMUNITY-IMMIGRATIONENFORCEMENT1.pdf

Mass Deportation Program: What’s the Cost?

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• For example, the entire U.S. prison and jail population in 2022, comprising every person held in local, county, state, and federal prisons and jails, was 1.9 million people. Holding them costs over $80 billion per year.
• There are also 2.3 million people who crossed the U.S. southern border without legal immigration status and were released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from January 2023 through April 2024.

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Conservative estimates of a longer process of individual arrests, processes and court cases, also assuming 20% would self deport under these circumstances total almost $1 trillion and would take over a decade.

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That’s $1,000,000,000,000.

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(Source: American Immigration Council)

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$$$ and the Cost

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• With the passage of the Reconciliation Bill in July 2025, Congress approved $170 billion for “Border & Immigration.” That’s the largest expenditure ever for this ever.
• That’s more than most nations’ defense budgets and it's being deployed domestically.

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• About 5.1 million U.S. citizen children live with an undocumented family member.
• Separating family members would lead to tremendous emotional stress and would cause hardship for many of these mixed-status families who might lose their breadwinners, jeopardizing their economic and social well-being
• It would also result in millions of U.S. citizens having to leave

Impact on Families

Impact on Economy

• Nearly 14 percent of people employed in the construction industry are undocumented.
• Removing that labor would disrupt all forms of construction across the nation, from homes to businesses to basic infrastructure.
• An estimated 70% of Wisconsin dairy workers are undocumented immigrants
• As industries suffer, hundreds of thousands of U.S.-born workers could lose their jobs.

Impact on Economy Cont.

• In 2022, nearly 90 percent of undocumented immigrants were of working age, compared to 61.3 percent of the U.S.-born population aged between 16 and 64, making undocumented immigrants more likely to participate in the labor force.
• Losing these working-age undocumented immigrants would worsen the severe workforce challenges that many industries have already been struggling with in the past few years.

Impact on Economy Cont.

• What careers have high numbers of undocumented workers?
• Nearly 28% agriculture product graders and sorters are undocumented
• Nearly 25% of all housekeeping cleaners are undocumented
• Over 1 million undocumented immigrants are entrepreneurs, who generated $27.1 billion in total business income in 2022. Losing these entrepreneurs in neighborhood businesses would lead to disruptions to services that have become an integral part of community life and provide local jobs for Americans.

• The negative impact would be most significant in California, Texas, and Florida, which are home to about 47.2 percent of the country's undocumented immigrants. Wisconsin would be hurt also
• 1 in every 20 residents would be deported

• Immigrants contribute to the economy. They pay taxes.
• Of the 11 million undocumented, 8.3 million are employed, making up approximately 4.8 percent of the entire U.S. workforce. Most pay taxes.
• Due to the loss of workers across U.S. industries, mass deportation would reduce the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) by 4.2 - from 11% to 6.8 percent.

Impact on Taxes

• This would result in significant reduction in tax revenues for the U.S. government.
• In 2022 alone, undocumented immigrant households paid $46.8 billion in federal taxes and $29.3 billion in state and local taxes.
• Undocumented immigrants also contributed $22.6 billion to Social Security and $5.7 billion to Medicare.
• They cannot benefit from most tax-funded programs.

Impact on Taxes cont’d…

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Part of Alien and Sedition Act (sec.3) - Threatened but never used before

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“Whenever there shall be a declared war between the United States and any foreign nation or government … and the President of the United States shall make public proclamation of the event, all natives, citizens, denizens, or subjects of the hostile nation or government, being males of the age of fourteen years and upwards, who shall be within the United States, and not actually naturalized, shall be liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured and removed, as alien enemies.”

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Alien Enemies Act of 1798

• Weaken ability of executive branch to make immigration policy
• Add “mandatory detention,” requiring detention without any opportunity to even request release on bond. Even if just accused of a crime - such as shoplifting.
• Require no-bond detention solely on the basis of a charge or arrest. This raises serious due process concerns.
• Radically increase number of people detained on immigration in an already full system.
• Disrupt prosecutors’ ability to proceed with criminal charges because the person will be held in immigration charges.

In the Pipeline: Laken Riley Act

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nilc.org

• President Trump signed and executive order directing federal agencies -- starting February -- to stop issuing citizenship documents to U.S.-born children of undocumented mothers or mothers in the country on temporary visas, if the father is not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. 1.20.2025
• The next day 18 states, including Wisconsin, have challenged this attempt in court.

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In the Pipeline: Birthright Citizenship

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• "The President has no authority to rewrite or nullify a constitutional amendment or duly enacted statute. Nor is he empowered by any other source of law to limit who receives United States citizenship at birth," the lawsuit said.

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Wong Kim Ark

Changes in Enforcement

Border Closures

“Remain in Mexico” Policy

Muslim Entry Ban

Family Separations

Attacks on Asylum

Limiting Temporary Protected Status (TPS)

Expedited Removal

In the Pipeline: New Challenges

• Need to show proof of residency for past 2 years or risk removal with court appearance
• Workplace Raids
• Homes - They need a valid warrant otherwise don’t allow entry.
• Castañon-Nava Settlement (Wisconsin) - means report warrantless arrests https://immigrantjustice.org/NavaSettlement/referralform
• Immigration Checkpoints - “reasonable distance” or 100 miles from a border

Expedited Removal

What does this mean if I am a refugee?

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Wisconsin Refugees

• There are about 60,000 Hmong people in Wisconsin, mostly in Milwaukee, Wausau, Sheboygan, La Crosse, Madison, Eau Claire, Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh, Manitowoc, Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids, Menomonie, and Fond du Lac.

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• Hmong people who arrived on refugee status but have not completed their guaranteed path to citizenship (even after supporting the US in the Vietnam war) are at risk for deportation, especially if they have gotten a misdemeanor or felony conviction over the course of the 6 decades since they may have immigrated here.

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• Also many refugees from Burma (Myanmar), Laos, Cambodia, Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ukraine.

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Refugees

• Need to complete and file Form I-485 after one year in the US
• Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, to apply for a Green Card.�

www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-eligibility/green-card-for-refugees#

• Don’t admit to offenses. Don’t plead to a misdemeanor. Get a lawyer.
• Even relatively minor misdemeanors like shoplifting, marijuana possession, DUI, party to a crime, etc. can lead to deportation.
• There is a low threshold for what is a “deportable offense”.

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Refugees & Others with Convictions

What can you do?

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Create a Plan

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What do you need?

• ID - Federal, State, Local
• A-Number
• Proof you have resided in US for over 2 years
• Guardianship
• Pick up kids from school
• Doctors
• Who will watch your kids in case of absence?
• Access to your finances if necessary
• Medical needs
• Attorney
• Rent, pets, plants, family members, contact job, school, etc.

What do you need?

• Find, make copies, and organize all important personal documents in a binder
• Valid IDs
• Birth and marriage certificates
• Medical, financial and school records
• Immigration records and letters
• including your “alien registration number” if you have one (the 8-digit number that begins with an “A”).
• Share these with a lawyer as well as other adults or responsible children to keep them safe and easy to access in case of an emergency.

Guardianship

• Guardian ad litem
• Can be an aunt, uncle, friend, attorney, neighbor

(not necessarily blood relative)

• There is a form for this at the end
• Power of Attorney for mixed status families https://wilawlibrary.gov/topics/estate/poa.php

Important Paperwork & Visas

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• Applying for Asylum
• Asylum Page:
• https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/refugees-and-asylum/asylum

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• Form I-589 Filing Instruction Tool
• https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/form-i-589-filing-instructions-tool

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Fighting Deportation

Applying for a waiver

• Form I-912 Request Fee Waiver (Inability to pay)
• https://www.uscis.gov/i-912

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• Or Form I-601 Application for Waiver of Inadmissibility
• https://www.uscis.gov/i-601

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Fighting Deportation

Adjust your status to permanent resident

• https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-processes-and-procedures/adjustment-of-status

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Appealing to the Board of Immigration

• https://www.justice.gov/eoir/reference-materials/bia/chapter-4/4
• https://www.uscis.gov/forms/all-forms/questions-and-answers-appeals-and-motions(Fill out with a lawyer)

Fighting Deportation

Appeals

• https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1480826/dl

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Voluntary departure to another safe location (Last Resort)

• https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1480811/dl)

Fighting Deportation

• An immigration bond is a cash deposit that guarantees the noncitizen will appear for all legal immigration proceedings.
• The amounts for bonds are set by ICE and immigration judges and are often unaffordable.
• ICE is supposed to refund the bond if the person attends all court hearings, but getting your money back is often difficult.
• You can check the eligibility criteria for paying an immigration bond on the ICE's CeBonds web portal - https://cebonds.ice.gov/
• There are community groups that provide bonds.
• (Shared at end of slideshow and on resources page)

Bond Funds

If you're renewing DACA, you'll need to bring the following:

• Government-issued identification, such as a driver's license or passport
• Current employment authorization document (work permit)
• Previous DACA application
• Two passport photos
• USCIS renewal filing fees: $555 (online) or $605 (paper)
1. Link to renew DACA: https://www.uscis.gov/i-821d
2. Link for work permit: https://www.uscis.gov/i-765
1. Fees: $470 online, $520 paper

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Renew DACA

Link to renew DACA

Link to Work Permit

Student Visas

The government offers three student visa types:

• F Student Visa: for study at an accredited U.S. college or university or to study English at an English language institute
• J Exchange Visa: for participation in an exchange program, including high school and university study and certain jobs. (non-immigrant)
• M Student Visa: for non-academic or vocational study or training in the United States

You must first apply and be accepted by a U.S. institution of higher education that participates in the Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVP).

• The school will issue I-20 or DS-2019 forms

Many Different Professional Visas

• EB-1 through 5 - Highly Skilled Workers
• H1-B - Specialty Occupations
• H2A - Temporary/Seasonal Agricultural Worker
• H2B - Temporary Non-Agricultural Worker
• H3 - Trainee or Specialized Education visitor
• L - Intracompany Transfer
• O - Special ability (science, art, education, athletics, business)
• P (1,2,3) - Sports or Entertainment
• Q1 - International Cultural Exchange

All non-immigrant petitioners should fill out the i-29 Form. https://www.uscis.gov/i-129

TN Visa

A TN visa is a nonimmigrant visa that allows Canadian and Mexican citizens to work in the United States for a specific period of time. TN visas are part of the former North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) - now known as the US - Mexico - Canada Agreement.

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Forms are here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment/visas-canadian-mexican-usmca-professional-workers.html

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Specialized Worker Visas (EB Visas)

There are several ways to become a lawful permanent resident (get a Green Card) through employment in the United States. These employment-based (EB) “preference immigrant” categories include:

• First preference (EB-1) – priority workers
• Aliens with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics;
• Outstanding professors and researchers; or
• Certain multinational managers and executives.
• Second preference (EB-2) – aliens who are members of the professions holding advanced degrees or who have exceptional ability (including requests for national interest waivers).
• Third preference (EB-3) – skilled workers, professionals, or other workers.

www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-eligibility/green-card-for-employment-based-immigrants

Victims of Human Trafficking Visas (T Visas)

• Enables certain victims of a severe form of trafficking in persons to remain in the United States for an initial period of up to 4 years if they complied with any reasonable request for assistance from law enforcement in the detection, investigation, or prosecution of human trafficking or qualify for an exemption or exception.
• T nonimmigrant status is also available to certain eligible family members of trafficking victims.
• T nonimmigrants who qualify may also be able to adjust their status and become lawful permanent residents (get a Green Card).

https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/victims-of-human-trafficking-t-nonimmigrant-status

• A term coined in the 1980s by Christian Churches that housed Central American refugees.

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• Broadly, cities, counties, and states have laws/policies that obstruct immigration enforcement and shield individuals from ICE
• Mostly through prohibiting or limiting local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities
• don’t participate in the 287(g) program
• jails don’t honor ICE detainers to hold immigrants for pick up
• deny ICE access to incarcerated aliens
• prohibit or impede communication and information exchange between their personnel and federal immigration authorities

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• Trump has vowed to “punish” “Sanctuary Cities.”

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Sanctuaries — Cities, Countries, States

• Places of worship can make themselves sanctuaries:
• Churches, temples, synagogues and mosques sometimes become sanctuaries for people facing deportation.
• They have individual rules and risks to be considered.
• They may provide everything from legal advice and prayer to giving undocumented immigrants a place to stay and food. Different models exist.

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• ICE has a “Protected Areas” list which includes places of worship.
• With some exceptions, ICE will not take enforcement actions

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• Law enforcement is allowed in public areas of building, but need signed judicial warrant for other areas.

Sanctuaries — Places of Worship

• Local Organizations:
• Voces de la Frontera
• Catholic Charities Immigration and Refugee Services
• Hanan Refugees Relief Group
• Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee
• Centro Hispano Madison
• Community Center for Immigrants
• Marquette University Legal Clinic
• Comité sin Fronteras

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• Other Organizations:
• International Institute of Wisconsin
• Kids Forward
• HOLA (Wausau) holawisc.org
• United We Dream Institute

Helpful Organizations

Pro Bono & Low Bono Attorneys

• Catholic Charities
• www.ccmke.org/RIS

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• Marquette University Law School
• https://law.marquette.edu/mvlc/citizens-immigration/
• Volunteer Legal clinics @UCC on Wednesdays 5-7pm

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• Voces de la Frontera
• Legal Services - Voces De La Frontera
• Legal Clinic by appointment 9-11am.

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• UW Law School Immigrant Justice Clinic
• Immigrant Justice Clinic | University of Wisconsin Law School

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These nonprofit agencies have a special license to practice immigration law. They may have a limited scope for the types of cases they take, you should contact them directly to see what they assist with:

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• Community Center for Immigrants
• James Place Immigration Services
• Hanan Refugee Relief Group
• International Institute of Wisconsin
• Lutheran Social Services
• Neighborhood House of Milwaukee/International Learning Program
• UMOS - Latina Resource Center

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DOJ Recognized Organizations

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Trusted Immigration Attorneys (incomplete list)

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Trusted Immigration Attorneys (incomplete list)

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Trusted Immigration Attorneys (incomplete list)

• There are a number of groups locally, statewide, and nationally fundraising for people who cannot afford bonds, fees, and legal forms and documents
• Local Organizations:
• Voces de la Frontera
• Catholic Charities Immigration and Refugee Services
• Hanan Refugees Relief Group
• Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee
• Centro Hispano Madison
• Marquette University Legal Clinic
• International Organizations:
• International Institute of Wisconsin
• Other Agencies we have shared earlier in the training

Fundraising for Bonds, Fees, and Legal Forms

• Voces De La Frontera offering legal assistance, resources, and more!
• Comité Sin Fronteras
• Organized fundraisers at Revel Bar, Highbury Pub, and more for those who cannot afford the DACA Renewal Form or Document
• Organizing events across the state
• LULAC
• Asian Americans for Advancing Justice (AAAJ - Chicago)

Work Done by Local Groups

• St. Luke's Aurora Family Practice Suite Room 250 for refugees
• Health Services and shelter for refugees
• 16th Street Family Clinic - health services for immigrants and refugees
• MPS
• Departamento Bilingue at MPS as well as the Newcomer Center at 3 high schools
• Schooling and English proficiency courses for refugee students at the MPS Milwaukee Academy of Chinese Language

Milwaukee Public Library - Provides Visas and documents

Milwaukee Public Library - Aurora visiting health clinics

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More Local Resources

Wisconsin Collaboration on Immigrants and Public Benefits

www.immigrantbenefitswi.org

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Protecting Immigrant Families

www.pifcoalition.org

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Dept of Health Services

https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/international/

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More Local Resources

Dual Language Cards that explain your rights.

https://www.ilrc.org/red-cards-tarjetas-rojas

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Know Your Rights Cards (red cards) in 16 Languages

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Immigrant Legal Resource Center

Emergency bilingual (Spanish / English )HOTLINE:

1.800.427.0213

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Know Your Rights

Conozca Sus Derechos

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https://vdlf.org/know-your-rights/immigrant-rights/

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Voces de la Frontera Resources

• Family Preparations:

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• https://www.informedimmigrant.com/resources/detention-deportation/steps-take-prepare-family/

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• https://ILRC.org

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• KYR:
• Immigrant Defense Project:
• https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/
• CHIRLA
• https://www.chirla.org/resources/know-your-rights/

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You know what your communities need best! info@milwaukeeturners.org

More Resources

www.milwaukeeturners.org

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Paypal: milwaukeeturners@gmail.com

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Donate: www.milwaukeeturners.org/donate

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info@milwaukeeturners.org

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