Family immigration difficult when interviews lead to detainment

Moving to a new country, building a life and changing one’s immigration status is not easy. Many people rely on family immigration to help them through the process, including receiving a green card by marrying a United States citizen. However, some people are concerned about what has recently taken place at some marriage interviews with immigration officials.

Louisiana readers may be interested in one couple’s difficult outcome after a marriage interview. The man, who is an immigrant, and his wife, a U.S. citizen, believed that they had successfully completed their marriage interview. The woman felt relieved and could not wait to tell their family members, but soon after, the man was arrested by officials for deportation. The woman stated that she felt the interview was set up as a trap so that her husband would be arrested.

Unfortunately, this is not the only time this type of scenario has unfolded. Five other couples have already filed a class action lawsuit claiming that federal agents used the guise of a marriage interview to arrest immigrant spouses. Though over 23,000 provisional unlawful presence waivers have been awarded after marriage interviews, it appears that officials are now using these interviews for their own purposes.

It can be immensely disheartening for families to think that they are moving into the next stage of adjusting a loved one’s immigration status only to have that person detained. It is understandable if many people across the country become wary of attending such interviews. However, individuals could still reach out to Louisiana family immigration law attorneys who could help them take the steps needed to work toward adjustment of status.