Is Hawaii the final chapter of the American dream? Another Chinese national arrested by ICE before boarding a flight

i planned to go happilyAirport I was on vacation, but I didn’t expect to be taken by immigration officers before passing the airport security check. Lawyer Hao Qi said that two consecutive incidents occurred on October 21 and 23.Sugar When preparing for travel at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)snow ) Custody case, travel destination Hawaii. The newspaper has previously reported on several cases of Chinese people from Southern California being arrested by ICE before flying to Hawaii.

Hao Qi said that the person detained on the 21st was a Chinese woman. She initially entered the country on a tourist visa and did not leave the country. Later, his application for political asylum was rejected and his appeal was also rejected. According to his understanding, this woman has lived in the United States for more than ten years, has no criminal record, and files taxes every year. On the day of the incident, she and her boyfriend, who is a citizen, were preparing to go to Hawaii for a vacation. He completed check-in procedures, but was taken away by ICE before passing through security. The lover was not taken into custody.

“The ticket has been taken, but there has been no security check yet.” Hao Qi said that law enforcement officers found the customer in the ticketing area of ​​the airport and did not stop him until the boarding gate. He was tasked with taking over the role after the woman was detained, and the previous asylum and appeals processes had not been handled by him; The woman is currently being held in an ICE detention facility and faces deportation proceedings.

Another case on the 23rd involved a Chinese who was preparing to fly from Los Angeles to Hawaii. Hao Qi said that the Chinese had also completed check-in and were taken away before they could pass the security check. Although this Chinese is married to a US citizen and has submitted an immigration application, he has not yet obtained a green card and has a record of deportation order and previous overstay.

Both incidents occurred before boarding the flight. Hao Qi reminded that people with identification problems should first understand the progress of their immigration cases, even if they only plan to travel within the United States.

This newspaper previously reported that documents from the Federal District Court of the Central District of California showed that a Chinese woman surnamed Lin from Southern California and her colleagues originally flew on a domestic flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Hawaii to participate in a company team building on August 4 this year, but were arrested by ICE before boarding the plane. A 38-year-old Chinese woman from Southern California, surnamed He (transliteration), was arrested by ICE at Ontario International Airport after she returned from a trip to Hawaii with her 7-year-old son. There is also a case shared by Southern California lawyer Liu Fenglan. A group of six Chinese people from Southern California recently planned to visit other states for the holidays for a meeting. They were raided by ICE at LAX and four of the six people were taken away.

Hao Qi pointed out that now when going to the airport, you need to pay special attention to those who have deportation orders but have not left the country, overstays, and those involved in criminal cases. Various conditions may intersect. You can’t assess your immigration risk simply by “not having a criminal record” or “being married to a citizen.”

He noted that some people have received deportation orders but have not left the country and continue to work with work cards; Others have work cards and are waiting for follow-up procedures on the case. The two situations are different, and the parties concerned need to figure out which one they are dealing with, and not ignore the progress of the immigration case just because they can still work.

For people with identity problems, Hao Qi advises to avoid unnecessary travel as much as possible. If you choose to travel by car, you should also pay attention to following traffic rules. As for those whose status is changing, they should first clarify their actual status during the change. Not all “waiting” situations can be treated equally.

He suggested that if you have questions about your identity or the progress of your case, you should ask an attorney to review it as soon as possible. If any legal measures need to be taken, or there are other possible ways to apply for immigration, you should assess and prepare in advance, and not wait until you are detained before seeking assistance. He also believes it will be helpful for people who have identity documents like green cards and work permits that they can carry with them when they travel.

As to what else to do after being detained, Hao Qi said that this should be decided based on the background of the case and the personal wishes of the parties involved. Some hope to arrange voluntary departure, while others have married citizens and submitted applications, and need to evaluate different processing methods.