You knew that what you did was wrong, but the idea of facing deportation for a minor crime is unfair, in your opinion. Despite that, you’ve found yourself in a difficult situation where you could be sent back to your home country. You don’t know the language and haven’t been there since you were a small child. You cannot see how you’d survive.
Defending yourself against deportation is very important. You know that the consequences could be dangerous or deadly, depending on your situation. For example, if you’re deported to a country where you don’t remember the language, you could have an extremely hard time supporting yourself. If you return to a country where your family was threatened, you could be at risk yourself.
The impact of deportation can range from physical to psychological to economic. Deportation doesn’t just affect the individual who is sent to their home country, either. It may affect their children (who may be American citizens), their employers and others.
Did you know that around 5.9 million U.S. citizens currently have a caregiver who doesn’t have the authorization to stay in the United States? That means that deporting someone could put children or elders at risk of being left to fend for themselves or to rely on the systems the government has in place.
Immigrants themselves could face serious repercussions upon return to their home countries. Some may return to dangerous environments. In detention centers, 79% of those interviewed had credible fears of persecution if they were to return to their countries of origin.
As someone facing deportation, you need to take a strong stance and defend yourself. If your life could be in danger, then there may be ways to help you stay in America.