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‘Reliefs are available but they are complex’
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Posted on Nov 21 2011
While foreign workers who will be out of status after Nov. 27 will have the right to an immigration hearing, many of the legal relief they can avail of are so “complex” that they would need the assistance of a lawyer.
“Don’t be too afraid. The idea is just to know what to do after the deadline. There are other reliefs available but these are more complex and you really do need to talk to an attorney to be able to explain to you in detail what these other reliefs are,” said attorney Ted Laguatan, a California-based immigration lawyer and counsel for the U.S. Pinoys for Good Governance.
Laguatan served as the presenter via Skype at the Immigration Information Presentation and Open Forum organized by the USP4GG CNMI Chapter last Saturday at the ground floor lobby of the Marianas Business Plaza.
The forum, attended by over a hundred individuals, was scheduled to start at 11am but got delayed due to technical difficulties.
Laguatan reiterated that foreign workers who will be out of status after Nov. 27 need not be afraid as they have a constitutional right to a hearing before an immigration court so the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement “cannot just arrest and ship you out.”
“The most important thing I’m telling you right now is what you do in case you are arrested for overstaying or whatever. It’s not the end of the world. You will have a right to a hearing. And for many of you, you are qualified for certain reliefs.”
But Laguatan noted that although he would like to help, it’s “impossible to sustain a purely pro bono help” because of the need to hire paralegals or junior lawyers to handle the case. He said he doesn’t get any funding from the Philippine government or private sources.
“In some of your cases, it might be handled on a semi-pro bono basis,” added Laguatan.
The one relief that’s “simple,” Laguatan emphasized, is to exercise one’s constitutional right to a hearing before an immigration court.
“The information you’re getting is very, very important because it helps you not to panic, not to be afraid,” said Laguatan, who also answered questions from the audience.
