Immigration attorney explains changes under Trump administration

Kellie Lego, an immigration attorney since 2009, told the Columbia-Patuxent Rotary Club recently that the current administration’s flurry of executive orders and rules is the most complicated that has ever confronted the immigration sphere.

Although she’s been through several different Presidential administrations and has seen a whole gauntlet of different things, Kellie said: “I mean, frankly, we’re dealing with the Wild, Wild West here.” She detailed various orders related to immigration, including those declaring a national emergency at the southern border and suspending the US refugee admissions program.

In addition to “enhanced” visa vetting and screening affecting visa issuance, there are 12 different countries that likely will soon be subject to a travel ban enforced on three different prescribed levels. “We don't know who's going to fall (into which level) yet, but the countries are Sudan, Venezuela, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Iran, Libya, Cuba, North Korea, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq.” Kellie said.

When it comes to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) priorities, the Biden administration went after only those immigrants who were convicted criminals and those who pose a threat to national security. “Now, essentially, it's anyone and everyone who is undocumented in this country,” Kellie said. “ICE was not allowed to go into hospitals, churches, courts, or schools before, but under this administration, all of those places are now fair game … Every ICE field office has their own way of handling things.”

Immigration lawyers have learned that field office directors actually have a quota number of arrests per day. The Department of Homeland Security says almost 75% of ICE arrests in the first 50 days of the Trump administration consisted of accused or convicted criminals.

“What about the other 25 per cent?” Kellie asked, since the mission was supposed to be going after criminals only. “If they go into a home to arrest the criminal, and grandma and grandpa and cousin and sister are all in the room, they are all collaterals and will be arrested as well.”

Because of the huge backlog in immigration courts and the administration’s cut in the number of judges, detainees’ hearings are being scheduled in 2027 and 2028. Since Maryland does not have enough beds for detainees, they’ll be transferred to another state and left there until their court date, unless they can overcome the difficulty of finding legal representation in the meantime.

Kellie explained the changes to identity documents and the military's role in border security, plus the challenges faced by individuals under the new policies. She emphasized the importance of having proper documentation and legal representation for individuals who may face immigration issues.

“I've met with a lot of my clients, and I'm now having those who are here lawfully carry a copy of the biographical page of their US passport, my people with a Lawful Permanent Resident Card, writing a letter to them, stapling my business card to it, and also a copy of their LPR card, in case they don't have it on them, saying that they're under or working with an attorney, and that any questions could be directed to me,” Kellie said.

Lastly, she emphasized that undocumented immigrants have not been welfare queens living off the federal government. “They weren't getting anything from the federal government. If they were getting anything, it was from a state government, a local government or a nonprofit organization,” Kellie explained. “Our federal government was not giving them any benefits. An individual who is even a lawful permanent resident isn't able to get federal benefits until they've been a lawful permanent resident for at least five years and meet income requirements.”

Kellie is a member of Columbia-Patuxent Rotary, the largest and most active group of Rotarians in Howard County.