Legal immigrants in Tennessee with green cards may be concerned about reports of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. While many people think that only undocumented immigrants are being arrested and slated for deportation, even legal immigrants and green...
Fighting For Your Rights
Month: August 2018
Do Non-Citizens have Constitutional Rights?
There is a misconception that the U.S. Constitution applies only to U.S. citizens. Some passages and phrases in our laws explicitly state only "citizens" are afforded certain rights, such as the right to vote. When the terms "resident" or "person" is used instead of...
ACLU accuses immigration agencies of setting traps
Immigration has become a hot button issue in Tennessee and the rest of the country. Now the American Civil Liberties Union is claiming that federal immigration agencies are coordinating efforts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to facilitate...
ICE No Longer Prioritizes Who They Try to Deport
Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") no longer prioritizes who they go after when seeking the removal of a non-citizen from the United States. Previously, there had been levels of priority, establishing a system that tried to ensure the limited and valuable...
30 Days Jail Time for DUI when Child in Car
Tennessee DUI laws provide mandatory minimum sentences, and sentence enhancement factors, for those who are convicted. A DUI first offense carries a minimum sentence of 48 hours in jail and a $350.00 fine, among other things. This minimum sentence however can be...
ICE Agents Cannot Execute Search Warrants at Your Home
Under federal law, certain Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers cannot execute search warrants. They also cannot enter your residence to serve an arrest warrant. So what do you do if ICE is outside your door? To understand your options, you need to know a...
New Protections for Domestic Violence Victims
New protections are in effect for domestic violence victims in Tennessee under a newly enacted law. Bond Conditions Changed When someone is arrested for domestic violence a magistrate must now impose a 12-hour holding period, notify the victim, and issue a no-contact...
Due Process for Undocumented Immigrants
Due process allows an individual in the federal sphere to exercise his or her legal rights afforded by the U.S. Constitution and laws enacted by Congress. In immigration court, it allows one to contest the proposed deportation by appearing before a judge. Immigrants...
Supreme Court strikes down unconstitutionally vague immigration law
An unconstitutionally vague immigration law has been struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. The case of Sessions v. Dimaya centered on a burglary conviction that that an Immigration Judge determined was an "aggravated felony." If convicted of an aggravated felony,...
Federal Judge: Tennessee Must Reinstate Driver Licenses Revoked for Failure to Pay
A federal judge ruled that the state of Tennessee cannot revoke driver licenses for those who cannot afford to pay their court costs, and must reinstate those previously revoked. The State has appealed the decision. Previously, the Tennessee Department of Safety and...