When people come to me for help and tell me that their spouse or partner is threatening them with deportation, several things run through my mind, but the short answer is, you have options. Below you will find three real life example cases I have worked on in the past where a threat like this was made and instead of deportation, my clients were able to achieve green card status.
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Hi, my name is Kathryn Karam, I am a board certified, practicing immigration lawyer in Houston Texas. And, I see this kind of situation too often. Over the years, I have worked on many similar cases where a United States Citizen or a permanent resident (someone with a green card) is threatening their spouse or partner, who may not have citizenship or a green card, telling them they will have them deported and the spouse or partner will have to go back to their home country and never return again.
My first thought: is this partner or spouse in an abusive relationship? My second thought is that this person probably has options to stay in the United States. Just because someone says they will get you deported, doesn’t mean that will happen or that they have the power to do so.
What to do When Your Partner Threatens you with Deportation:
1. If you are in immediate danger, you should call 911. Your immediate safety comes first and this phone call record may be helpful to your case later on.
2. Make a police report if at all possible, and seek out safe help for abuse at places like Houston Area Women’s center in Houston, Texas. Google “Safe Shelters.”
3. Talk to a lawyer. Even if you have never applied for status, even if you don’t have a green card, you have options.
Schedule a consultation with Karam Immigration Law
Real Case Examples When Spouses Have Threatened Deportation
- We represented a man who had been out of status for years, maybe over a decade, who applied for protection under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) – He now has a Green Card. Please understand that the VAWA protects EVERYONE, male, female, non binary, etc. It’s just called the VAWA and now has his green card.
- We worked with a woman whose husband had her join him in the U.S., where she found herself in a cycle of abusive behavior. When we first met her, she had no idea if he had actually filed for her green card or not or what options she had. She was able to apply for her green card based on an approved Violence Against Women Act petition.
- We represented a woman who had a conditional green card based on her marriage. Her husband abused her and their son, who was a small child at the time. While they were in the divorce process, his divorce lawyer threatened to have our client deported. We successfully removed the conditions on her green card based on her good faith marriage to her husband and the abuse she experienced.
Deportation Lawyer in Houston
If you are in an abusive relationship, it can be difficult to know where to turn for help. It can be more difficult when you’re worried that leaving the relationship might impact your immigration status. Remember – your safety is a priority. Talk to a nonprofit organization and make a plan to safely leave the abusive situation. If you’re in immediate danger, call 911. And if you’ve been threatened that you’ll be deported if you leave the relationship, don’t rely on what you’re hearing from an abusive partner. Talk to an experienced immigration lawyer or Deportation Lawyer so you know your immigration options and can be ready to take control of your immigration process. You can talk to me by clicking the orange button below:
