One of my greatest joys in this job is reuniting families who have been separated by borders, detentions and deportation orders.
I started visiting detention centers years ago when I first represented children who had been unjustly detained and/or separated from their families at the border. This cruel policy resulted in children as young as 2 years old (my youngest client to date) being placed in different facilities than their parents and being forced to represent themselves in court in their own removal proceedings. My two year old client could barely speak, and yet, was given a court date and an ‘opportunity’ to discuss her fear of returning to her country in a sterile court room with a judge and opposing counsel.
If this causes you to shudder, then, we are on the same page. Our immigration laws are often arbitrary and nonsensical, and as a lawyer, it is my job and duty to shine a very bright light on the inefficacy of our system. I did so with such passion in the case of my two year old client, that the judge apologized to the child and quite succinctly said, “This is a terrible way to welcome a child to our country. I am so sorry”.
There will be times when the laws that are enacted do not take into account the personal suffering of its people. There will be times when laws that are designed to protect, instead, harm and endanger you. In every instance, lawyers rise up and stand valiantly against injustice. Without our raised voices, many people will continue to be silenced and abandoned in a system that may not consider you as equals.
In my over two decades as an attorney, I have also represented families that have been separated by border, ICE and deportation orders. In many cases, the parents were taken away by ICE while their kids were away at school. I can think of nothing more terrifying than a child coming home from school only to find their parents have been deported in their absence. To further complicate the issue, those same children are often placed in foster homes or live alone. This is why I advocate so strongly for every undocumented family to draft powers of attorney and guardianship papers for their minor children.
The client in this picture was 16 years old, when she was forced to fend for herself and her young sister after she discovered that her parents had been deported. For years, she struggled to make ends meet, until she met me and I petitioned for her mother to be released from a detention center and to be reunited with her kids. What a glorious moment it was. You can see the relief in their faces as they exit the building and embrace a new life together in this country.
Protect Your Rights During Deportation
If you or a loved one is facing deportation, it’s crucial to know how to protect your legal rights and stay informed while awaiting your case. Our detailed blog provides essential advice on the steps to take while awaiting deportation in detention. Read more about it here.
At Qazi Law, we are dedicated to educating you about your human rights and guiding you through the legal processes to ensure your safety, especially during the difficult times of facing deportation. If you know someone who has been detained or deported and needs advocacy to be released and reunited with their families, contact my office directly for a free case evaluation by calling 630 504-0648 today or booking an appointment here. Your rights and future matter to us—let’s navigate this challenging journey together and secure the best possible outcome for you and your family.
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