Immigration Help: Family Member in Detention Center

Explaining detention in regards to immigration help refers to the process in which a foreign national is arrested and taken to a detention center until his or her case is heard, or until the person is placed on a plane and deported. Someone can be detained if they were found to have entered the United States illegally, have committed a crime while here, or if they maybe a public threat. 

Detention For A Crime

If your family member was detained because he or she committed a crime, then it will be important to contact an attorney. As a result of the strict laws in place for people who commit crimes, someone who is detained as a result of this can be deported.

There is a long list of crimes that leads to someone being detained, and eventually deported. The problem of this is that as long as the person was convicted of a crime in the United States, regardless of when it happened, he or she can be detained, as there are no statue of limitations in this area. So even after many years, the possibility of detention is always possible.

Detention To Confirm Identity

Another reason why your family member might be detained by an immigration official is to confirm the person’s identity. For example, if your family member does not speak English and has no identity documents, immigration might choose to detain them until they find a translator or can confirm who your relative is. Once they can confirm who your relative, then they may choose to release him or her or detain them further.

Detention If Public Threat

One of the jobs of the immigration department within the United States is to protect the society from anyone who might be a public threat. When your relative is detained, they will be given the reason for this detention. Often people can be detained if an immigration official believes that person would be a public threat to society. This could mean that releasing them might cause injury to other people.

Detention For Illegal Immigrants

If apprehended, someone who has overstayed a visa or has entered the country illegally will be detained by immigration. The next step is a court hearing to determine if the person should be deported.

Getting Immigration Help

If your family member has been detained by immigration and you are not sure what to do, make the first step by contacting an immigration attorney to see how you can get immigration help for your family.