The Law Office of Jason Mills, PLLC

Board Certified Immigration and Nationality Law
1403 Ellis Ave | Fort Worth, Texas 76164
www.immigrationnation.net

Dear client,

As you may have heard, the current administration recently made changes in Immigration Policy. On September 5, 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the administration would begin phasing out the deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) program. Here is a summary of the changes that have been made.

• As of Tuesday September 5, 2017, no new initial DACA application will be accepted
• As of Tuesday September 5, 2017, no requests for advance parole filed under the standards for DACA will be processed
• Requests for advance parole that are currently pending will be administratively closed and any fees charged by the government in connection with filing for advanced parole will be returned
• Work Permits obtained under the standards for DACA will remain in effect until their expiration date
• If your work permit expires before March 5, 2018 you qualify for a final renewal
• Application for renewal must be submitted by October 5, 2017

Next, I’d like to discuss how this affects you and what you can do moving forward. The first thing to do is find out if you qualify for one more renewal. Check your work permit. If the expiration date is EARLIER than March 5, 2018 you will be able to renew. However, there is a very short window in which to do so. If your work permit expires after March 5, 2018 you are not eligible to renew. Your status will expire on the date listed on your card. Please check your work permit as soon as you receive this letter. If you qualify to renew (i.e. your expiration date is before March 5, 2018) please contact the office immediately to make an appointment to process your renewal. No renewal requests will be accepted after October 5, 2017.

The administration has challenged Congress to pass immigration reform before your DACA expires. I am cautiously optimistic that this can occur. Leadership in the house and Senate have expressed a willingness to work towards a solution. I have already contacted my Congressman and Senator and asked them to prioritize passing a law providing a path to Dreamers. Please join me in this effort. Ask anyone who is willing to help to contact their representative. I have provided a list of Congressman and Senators along with their contact information on the back of this letter.

In light of the possibility that many of you may soon find yourselves without legal status I would like to review some of your rights.

• You have the right not to answer the door if an officer knocks (unless they have a valid search warrant)
  • An ICE deportation warrant is not the same as a search warrant. If this is the only document they have, they cannot legally come inside unless you verbally agree to let them in.
  • If the officers say they have a search warrant signed by a judge, ask them to slide it under the door or hold it up to a window so you can see it.
  • If the warrant does not have your correct name and address on it and is not signed by a judge you do not have to open the door or let them inside.
  • If at any point you decide to speak with the officers, you do not need to open the door to do You can speak to them through the door or step outside and close the door.
• You have the right to remain silent
  • If you are asked where you were born or how you entered the United States, you may refuse to answer or remain silent.
  • If you choose to remain silent, say so out loud.
  • You may refuse to show identity documents that say what country you are from.
  • Do not show any false documents and do not lie.
• You have the right to speak to a lawyer. If you are detained or taken into custody, you have the right to immediately contact a
  • Even if you do not have a lawyer, you may tell the immigration officers that you want to speak to one.
  • If you have a lawyer, you have the right to talk to If you have a signed Form G-28, which shows you have a lawyer, give it to an officer.
  • If you do not have a lawyer, ask an immigration officer for a list of pro bono lawyers.
  • You also have the right to contact your The consulate may be able to assist you in locating a lawyer.
  • You can refuse to sign any/all paperwork until you have had the opportunity to speak to a lawyer.
  • If you choose to sign something without speaking to a lawyer, be sure you understand exactly what the document says and means before you sign it.

If you have any addition questions or concerns regarding your case please feel free to give us a call. If you qualify to renew, take action immediately! DACA as we know it is going away; while I remain hopeful that Congress will pass a law to fix this situation the best thing you can do for your immigration situation right now is to renew one more time if you can.

Thanks for taking the time to read this letter and thanks for being our client. As immigration law and policy continues to evolve we will do everything we can to keep you up to date on the latest changes.

Regards,

The Law Office of Jason Mills

Congresswoman Kay Granger:                 (817) 338-0909
Congressman Marc Veasey:                      (817) 920-9086
Senator Ted Cruz:                                        (214) 599-8749
House Speaker Paul Ryan:                        (866) 575-9410