Tips For Undocumented Immigrants

1. You have the constitutional right to remain silent and do not have to tell anyone your immigration status or place of birth.  Documented people should also exercise this right so that we are all resisting the law together.

2. You have the right not to be stopped or detained without reasonable suspicion of a crime.  If you are detained, always ask if you are free to leave.

3. If you are detained, do not sign any documents until your attorney can review them.

4. You are safest in your home and least safe while driving.  If driving, you must provide license, registration, and insurance.  You can be arrested for driving without a license.

5. If you must drive without a license, make sure your registration is up to date and all lights are functioning.  Do not violate traffic laws.

6. Make sure your kids go to school.  Keeping them out of school is a violation of the laws.

7. If you are undocumented, do not travel beyond the checkpoints which are 90 miles inside of the U.S border.

8. You have the right not to be discriminated against based on your ethnicity, race, or national origin.  This is guaranteed by the constitution.

9. Consult with an immigration attorney or reputable non-profit agency (not a notario) to find out if there are immigration remedies available to you, including what defenses you might have if you are arrested.

10. Each individual must decide which documents to carry with them.  If you are undocumented, it is best not to have documents showing that you are from another country, but many people feel safer carrying identity documents.  It is a personal decision and changes according to each situation.

Remember we are here for your immigration needs in Austin: (855) 502-0555

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About the Author: Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch

I am the managing partner of Lincoln-Goldfinch Law. Upon graduating from the University of Texas for college and law school, I received an Equal Justice Works Fellowship in 2008, completed at American Gateways. My project served the detained families seeking asylum. After my fellowship, I entered private immigration practice. My firm offers family-based immigration, such as green cards and naturalization, deportation defense, and humanitarian cases such as asylum, U Visa, and VAWA. Everyone at Lincoln-Goldfinch Law is bilingual, has a connection to our cause, and has demonstrated a history of activism for immigrants. To us, our work is not just a job.

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