Traveling to a foreign country in search of greener pastures is a very big decision in life; it makes you become a stranger in another country. To survive as an immigrant who is not a permanent resident is not an easy thing. Most immigrants always make sure they don’t get pulled over by the police until they become a permanent resident due to the fear of having immigration issues that could be costly. Most immigrants think getting arrested will lead to deportation, which is a very wrong thought because even after an arrest, some actions could still save them from immigration issues. Some of the steps that should be taken when arrested are:
Calmness
When arrested, it is very advisable to be calm. When you get pulled over, your reaction matters a lot because it gives an impression to the officer about who you are. Try as much as possible to relax and don’t act as if you’re new in the country. Questions asked by the officer should also be answered with great confidence. Answering questions with confidence will convince the officer not to ask for your ID in most cases. When answering questions, even though you’re confident in answering questions, you should avoid unnecessary jokes. You should straightforwardly answer questions without arguing or complaining.
Immigration questions
There are two stages of arrest when it comes to immigration issues. The first type of arrest is the one which the immigrant will be questioned at the police station while the second type is the next stage of the first step, which is the immigration detention. Here, police transfer immigrants with immigration issues to immigration detention. When in detention, the immigration officers will ask immigrants many immigration questions repeatedly, which makes it possible for one to give two different answers to a single question if care is not taken. To avoid the mess of giving wrong answers, which will be costly, it is better to decide not to answer any question and request for an immigration attorney who will assist you immediately.
If you are planning to move to the United States, it is important that you receive ESTA status if your country belongs to the visa waiver program countries. Get an ESTA form online to apply for an ESTA if you are eligible. If not, then apply for a visa.
Honesty
Many immigrants do get very scared when they are being questioned by immigration officers. Instead of remaining quiet or requesting for the help of an immigration attorney, some resort to lying, fabricating things and giving false information to cover their lapses. It is a very bad decision to lie to immigration officers because they will still verify whatever you say in the database of records. If what you said differs from what you have in your record, it can lead to a serious immigration case or deportation at worst. It is always advisable to tell the truth, even if you do not have valid documents, tell the truth because by telling the truth, you’ll still have the chance of getting a lawyer who can end up making things right, but if you’re found guilty of lying, there’s little chance that you won’t get deported.
Signing
In worst cases of immigration interrogation, documents are presented to immigrants to sign. Most times, these documents if signed means canceling the possibility of living legally in the country. These documents may mean the immigrant will be transferred to jail till his or her case will be finished in court. If an immigrant is transferred to jail because of immigration case, there is a high possibility that the immigrant will have to stay for a long time in jail because immigration cases do take a long duration before they get resolved and in most cases, immigrants do end up losing. Consequences of signing unknown documents in the custody of the immigration agency are one of the reasons why immigrants should never sign any document even if they are pressured. The only person that should decide if you should sign a document in custody is your immigration attorney.
Worst scenario
If you have to be remanded in prison, it is advisable to call a close relative and inform him or her about what you are passing through. While in detention, it is also good not to be depressed because depression affects the state of mind. After getting out of detention, it’s possible for the depression to still hunt one, which is the reason why you shouldn’t be depressed in detention. It should also be noted that you should be careful about the type of advice you’ll need while in detention because fellow inmates will try to give solutions based on their experience which may not work for you.
