Many Florida immigrants and immigrant advocates have been closely following news regarding various detainment situations throughout the nation. U.S. immigration law is a highly debated topic and its constant changes and apparent contradictions at state and federal levels often leaves people feeling confused and nervous. A developing story in another state involves a man who was recently released from detainment after his deportation was denied has been charged with unarmed robbery.
The 32-year-old man, born to Cambodian refugee parents, is accused of forcefully taking $2,000 from a wheelchair-bound woman, age 65. He supposedly carried out this crime with an accomplice. The man has been the focus of national news attention for some time as he was at the center of a state court ruling that law enforcement agents could not detain an immigrant solely upon request by federal immigration officials.
In this man’s situation, charges against him at the time had been dismissed and immigration officials wanted local law enforcement to keep him detained. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials wound up detaining the man for several months and were unable to deport him because his parents were refugees, and neither of their homelands would validate his citizenship. It was not long after his release from ICE detainment that police filed criminal charges against the man.
Florida immigrants, as does the man in this case, have the right to defend themselves if charged with crime in the United States. Most seek assistance from experienced defense attorneys (preferably ones who are well-versed in U.S. immigration law) before heading to court. Strong defense representation often helps secure as positive an outcome as possible.
Source: wbur.org, “Immigrant At Center Of Landmark SJC Ruling Is Arrested“, Shannon Dooling, Oct. 16, 2017
