Latest news with #AdvanceParole
CBS News
04-04-2025
- CBS News
DACA recipient and Kansas City father of 3 deported to Mexico despite valid documentation
A 39-year-old DACA recipient and married father of three from Kansas City, Kansas, was deported last month after he left the U.S. and traveled to Mexico to visit his grandfather's grave, according to a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday. Evenezer Cortez-Martinez was detained March 23 at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport as he was making his way back into the U.S., the lawsuit states. Martinez traveled to Mexico to visit his grandfather's grave on March 20. Upon arriving at DFW, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents stopped him from boarding his connecting flight home to Kansas City, claiming he had a removal order filed in June 2024, the lawsuit says. Cortez-Martinez was deported immediately to Mexico City. According to Cortez-Martinez's lawyer, Rekha Sharma-Crawford, her client was unaware of a removal order filed in 2024 given he has been a DACA recipient since 2014 and had successfully renewed his permit every two years. Cortez-Martinez was brought to the U.S. as a four-year old child. Sharma-Crawford told CBS News her client applied for and obtained permission to travel outside of the U.S. through the Advance Parole process. This allows DACA recipients in the U.S. to temporarily travel outside of the country and return without a visa. CBS News has reached out to DHS and CBP for comment on the case. Sharma-Crawford is part of the legal team that filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas Wednesday on behalf of Cortez-Martinez, suing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and CBP. The lawsuit argues Cortez-Martinez cannot be barred without a formal removal hearing before an immigration judge given his DACA status and valid Advance Parole documents. According to court documents, the CBP officer denied Cortez-Martinez's entry as he was "ordered removed in absentia" on June 11, 2024, and the advance parole document "was issued in error." Sharma-His removal told CBS News in a statement Friday that his removal was "extremely out of the norm." "Regulations don't permit for someone who is on Advance Parole to be subjected to expedited processing, but in terms of how advance parole works, even if someone has a removal order, that doesn't prevent them from traveling out of the country and returning," Sharma-Crawford said. "That's the piece that is so jarring." Sharma-Crawford is urging other dreamers not to travel outside of the U.S. under the Trump administration. "If you don't have to travel right now, you should probably not travel. It's just too uncertain, it's just too unknown." Cortez-Martinez is currently staying with an uncle in Mexico City while his wife and three children remain in Kansas City. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration policy was established in 2012 under the Obama administration to protect unauthorized immigrants brought into the U.S. as children. As of September 2024, there were about 538,000 immigrants, known as dreamers, enrolled in DACA. In January, a federal appeals court declared DACA unlawful , but kept the policy in place.
CBS News
18-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Refugee resettlement efforts stalled amid tough immigration policies
Minnesota has long been a haven for refugees, with nearly 118,000 individuals resettling in the state since 1979, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. However, a toughening of U.S. immigration policies has created significant challenges for those hoping to start new lives in the state. While the administration's hardline stance on immigration is widely known for cracking down on deportations, it's also making it more difficult for refugees to enter the country. In January, President Trump signed an executive order suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program . A federal judge blocked the move , but the administration has yet to fully resume operations. One organization deeply impacted by these changes is the International Institute of Minnesota, which provides crucial services to new Americans. "They want to make a life for themselves. They want safety for their families. And you know, that's why that hasn't changed. That's still why people come here and to rejoin their family members that are here," said Executive Director Jane Graupman. Their work focuses on helping refugees access housing, healthcare and education, among other services. As a result of President Trump's move, many organizations like the International Institute of Minnesota are struggling financially, with Graupman noting that they haven't been paid for their services since November. As a result, they have had to turn to community support to continue their work. "It's always important, but now it's very important," she said. Despite these financial challenges, Graupman says that the need for refugee resettlement remains. She thinks the community will start to see the impact of fewer refugees entering the workforce. She says they've helped employ more than 3,500 people in the healthcare industry, which has been essential for filling labor shortages. Meanwhile, refugees and immigrants with varying citizenship statuses are increasingly fearful of deportation . Immigration attorney David Kubot shared that some immigrants are hesitant to travel outside the U.S., worried that they won't be allowed to return, even with approved travel documents like Advance Parole. He explained that the decision to travel has become a complex risk calculation, particularly for those with pressing personal reasons like visiting a dying family member. Kubot encourages his clients to act proactively in navigating the uncertainty of the current immigration landscape, despite the risks involved. "It's tough to be brave in the face of this, but it's kind of the only thing you can do," Kubot said. As these policies continue to evolve, organizations that work with refugees and immigrants are stepping up efforts to provide education about rights and the immigration process. However, navigating the complex and rapidly shifting landscape remains a significant challenge for many.
