DALLAS, Texas.- If they reach you having and ask questions about you migratory statusthe lawyer Kate Huddleston, of the American Civil Liberties Union in Texas (ACLU) explained in interview with Univisión what to do in such a situation.
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After the Joe Biden Administration announced ending a pandemic-era policy that allowed authorities to deny entry to migrants, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas answered at a press conference on Wednesday with a plan that aims to stop migrants and take them on buses to Washington.
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One of the measures announced by Abbott on Wednesday is to reinforce the surveillance of vehicles and gave special importance to the Texas border with Mexico. This has raised a number of questions and has revived the concern of migrants in the state.
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What to do if the police stop me in my car and I do not have papers?
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The ACLU details on its website that if someone is pulled over in a car, the driver can show a driver’s license, registration, and proof of auto insurance, if requested.
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In an interview with Univision 23 Dallas-Fort Worth, attorney Fernando Dubove says that they can only ask for these documents.
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What to do if I am detained because of my immigration status?
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Nevertheless, in case an arrest did occurpeople are not required to answer any questions about their immigration status, specified the lawyer Huddleston, although an officer can ask.
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“If someone is stopped by Texas police for a legal reason (including immigration status), Texas police can legally ask about immigration status,” he said.
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What can passengers do?
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Also, if those people they carry passengers, ACLU states that they can ask the officer if they are free to go. “If the officer says yes, he either sits quietly or calmly walks away,” the portal specifies.
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“You have the right to remain silent: You can say you want to remain silent and not answer any questions about your immigration status,” the site says.
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Do I need to bring my documents with me?
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On the other hand, if a person is not a United States citizen and an immigration agent asks for their documents, they must be shown if they are carrying them with them, details the ACLU portal.
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If someone is over 18 years of age, they can carry their immigration documents with them at all times, the site says; and if he doesn’t have them, he can tell that he wants to remain silent.
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What rights do I have as an immigrant?
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The ACLU website also details that if you want to exercise the right to remain silent, you must say it out loud. There is also the right to ask for a lawyer if someone is arrested; additionally, a person may withdraw if not under arrest.
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The person must also not interfere with or obstruct the police or tell lies or provide false documents, according to the ACLU.
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How likely are they to bus migrants to Washington?
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The governor gave the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) authorization to transport them to Washington on buses, but doing so without the corresponding legal authority and against the will of the person, enters into a controversy.
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The ACLU Texas attorney pointed out that the DPS does not have the authority to stop people on the streets because of their immigration status.
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“Transporting people against their will across state lines can be considered a kidnapping if there is no legal authority to do so,” he commented.
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“DPS is state law enforcement – does not have the authority to get involved in immigration actions,” said attorney Huddleston.
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Will the Texas government have authority over these migrants?
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“The Texas government does not have the authority to force migrants to travel by bus to other areas of the country, nor to force anyone to travel anywhere because of their immigration status,” the ACLU attorney told Univision.
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“Any such effort would be unconstitutional and outrageous.”
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After the press conference, Abbott’s office reported more details of the plan, which began to have a “noticeably softer tone,” reported The Texas Tribune.
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However, before this, the press conference unleashed a series of questions about the tone it had previously.
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“Governor Abbott appears to be proposing unilateral state action against migrants who have been released by the Department of Homeland Security to travel to their final destination,” said the ACLU’s Kate Huddleston.
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“These individuals have been released by the federal government and the state of Texas has no authority over them.”
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