LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – The summer travel season is underway – but if you’re a green card holder, immigration attorneys say now is not the time to make last-minute decisions without checking your status first.
“We’re at a time where the immigration laws are being applied very strictly, not in favor of the traveler,” said attorney Maria Quiroga.
Aubrey Maples, an immigration attorney with the UNLV Immigration Clinic, explained a common question their office has received.
“Should green card holders avoid travel right now?”
“People can never be sure. Every single time someone who is not a U.S. citizen presents themselves at the border to seek reentry to the United States, it is a new admission. That is decision is made on the spot by Customs and Border Protection teams that are on the ground,” Maples said.
However, Maples explained travel isn’t completely off the table but there are things people can do to be proactive.
Attorneys said before traveling, green card holders should make sure their green card is valid and unexpired, make sure their passport name matches their residency card. If you have conditions on your card, make sure you’ve already filed to remove them.
Attorneys say even minor issues could raise red flags at the border, such as having a criminal record, pending court issues, expired green cards and frequent long absences from the U.S.
“It’s nerve wracking every day to go out and don’t know what to expect, even though I have documents that prove I’m here legally,” said a Las Vegas woman who spoke with FOX5 anonymously.
She explained she’ll avoid traveling all together – even though she’s just a few weeks away from receiving her green card.
“Definitely not,” she said. “We’re going to wait until we are completely safe.”
Attorneys said the best advice is to be prepared and know your rights.
“Have an immigration attorney you can call in case of something happens, but I wouldn’t make any decisions without talking to a lawyer first,” Quiroga said.
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