Do you have a family member or friend detained in one of the deportation centers in a United States state? Think no further, here we offer you the answer from an expert.

Lawyer María Herrera Mellado, specialized in immigration issues, gave her advice through Diario Las Américas and her space on immigration advice.

According to Herrera Mellado, the first thing to know is that lawyers, licensed in certain states, are the ones who must intervene and request that they be released on bail or on their own initiative.

Once the lawyer has intervened in the process, he must analyze the summons of appearance very carefully and see whether it concerns immigrants who are classified as those who have just arrived in the country or immigrants who already have certain rights to apply for bail before the courts, even certain pardons, he explained.

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Between asylum application and deportation

New shelter for immigrants near the center of the National Migration Institute (INM), in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua (Mexico). Photo: EFE/Luis Torres

Immigrants who enter through the border and do not have papers to enter or who also lie will be detained and face a deportation process in which only lawyers can represent them.

Herrera Mellado remembers the large number of different cases. It therefore asks to take into account whether the detainee has ‘relief’, such as an asylum application or a suspension of deportation.

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Guidance for migrants

The lawyer going through such a situation with a family member or friend should remember to seek the advice of a licensed professional in the United States.

Photo: Pexels/Sora Shimazaki Photo: PanoSupport

In general, it is ideal to be able to talk to a lawyer. The National Immigration Law Center site asks: What should I do if immigration authorities arrest me? In one of your answers you say: Do not sign any document without speaking to an attorney first. These documents can be a negotiated deportation order or a voluntary departure agreement.

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They remind you that you may be giving up your right to see an attorney or judge, or agreeing to leave the United States. It can also forever prevent you from re-entering the country or obtaining an immigrant visa. “Never sign a document without reading it, understanding it and knowing the consequences of signing it.”

And he also points out that his family “can find out where he is being held.”

Immigration authorities, the law firm explains on its website, “have an online Detainee Locator System at https://locator.ice.gov/odls/#/index. To obtain information, you must have your full name and A number at hand. You can also contact your local ICE office or the ICE Detention Center Information and Complaint Line at 1-888-351-4024.

(JO)