Thursday, February 1, 2018
Women’s City Club
Photos are here
The 2017 reversal of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy (DACA) and a change in deportation priorities is resulting in a significant backlog for the courts. That was one of the points local immigration attorney Romben Aquino made at the February League Day in a presentation on immigration issues. The attorney, a partner in the Pasadena law firm Fong & Aquino, spoke in front of a packed audience at the Women’s City Club of Pasadena.
Aquino explained that the previous administration prioritized deportation of undocumented immigrants posing a security threat as terrorists or members of street gangs but that the Department of Homeland Security now has a much broader focus.
A Catch-All Provision
The categories of people whom the new administration prioritizes for deportation include those charged with a criminal offense but not convicted and anyone who in the judgement of an immigration officer poses a risk to national security or public safety. “This is what lawyers call a catch-all provision,” Aquino said. He mentioned that approximately 10 million to 11 million people in the U.S. are currently without proper immigration status.
Noting that, in the U.S., everybody is entitled to due process, Aquino said that the new guidelines will create additional backlog for the approximately 300 immigration judges across the country. “It’s a little like the 210 Freeway at 5 o’clock,” he said. Some judges are already telling immigrants that they will hear their case again in 2021.
Asked what concerned citizens can do in the current situation, the attorney suggested they advise undocumented immigrants to talk to lawyers about routes to legalization and to steer clear from “notarios” and other non-lawyers giving out legal advice. He urged green card holders with minor children to apply for naturalization as soon as possible because the children then automatically become U.S. citizens.
Speaking for the Pasadena chapter of the League of Women Voters, Immigration Committee Chair Pat Coulter asked the audience to call, email, or send tweets to legislators right in the meeting, demanding the passage of a bipartisan immigration bill. LWV-PA President Dorothy Keane invited everyone to actively support the work of the League during this election year by volunteering to help with voter registration.
—Christina Schweighofer
Aquino earned a BA in Political Science from University of California, Los Angeles, and a JD from Northeastern University School of Law. The son of immigrants, he has centered his work as an attorney for the past decade on helping immigrant families come together and stay together.
The League of Women Voters Pasadena Area opposes the deportation of noncriminal, undocumented immigrants. It supports immigration policies, including the Dream Act, that promote the reunification of immediate families.
