Latest news with #MichaelLukens
CBS News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Maryland advocates argue "self-deport" posters attack immigrants' rights
Posters being put up in immigration courts in Maryland and across the country encouraging immigrants to "self-deport" have advocates calling it an attack on immigrants' right to due process. The Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, an immigrant legal services nonprofit with offices in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., says it's been hearing about the poster from clients since April. Amica's main concern is that the poster doesn't fully explain the consequences that could ultimately prompt people to leave the country forever. Concern for immigrants' legal rights Titled, "A Warning to Self-Deport," the top half of the post goes over the benefits of self-deportation, saying it's safe and there will be future opportunities for returning with legal status. The bottom half of the poster goes over consequences for staying, which include immediate deportation, fines and penalties, and possible imprisonment. CBS News Baltimore Michael Lukens, executive director for Amica, said the poster has been put up in immigration courts and detention facilities. He also said the poster doesn't have credible legal advice. "It talks about taking a self-deport, well, that's not really a thing," Lukens said. "If someone is in front of a judge, they have the right to fight their case. A person can ask for something called involuntary departure to the judge." Lukens said that the poster doesn't get into all of the negative impacts someone could run into if they take this option, which includes being barred from returning to the country and fighting their case in court. "There's a reason we have courts and there's a reason we have attorneys to help people," Lukens said. We don't use posters to try and get people to give up their legal rights," he said. WJZ reached out to the Executive Office for Immigration Review about the poster and concerns raised by Lukens. EOIR conducts removal proceedings in immigration courts. A press secretary for EOIR declined to comment via email. Migrants take Trump's offer to self-deport Meanwhile, the first group of undocumented migrants who took President Donald Trump's $1,000 offer to self-deport arrived in Honduras and Colombia on Monday. In total, 64 migrants took the voluntary charter flight from Houston, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. One of those migrants, 22-year-old Wilson Ariel Saenz, told reporters after arriving in Honduras that he took the offer because things are "ugly" in the U.S. The president said he's open to bringing certain undocumented migrants back into the country. "We're going to work with them so that maybe someday, with a little work, they can come back in if they're good people," Trump said. "If they're the kind of people that we want in our company." This all comes as the government has cut funding for immigrant legal support services, including a program Amica ran to provide legal support in detention centers. Lukens said Amica will continue to help as much as it can. "Is it efficient? No. Is it as effective? No. Are we doing it unfunded? Yes," Lukens said.
CBS News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Maryland advocates argue "self deport" posters attack immigrants' rights
Posters being put up in immigration courts in Maryland and across the country encouraging immigrants to "self-deport" have advocates calling it an attack on immigrants' right to due process. The Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, an immigrant legal services nonprofit with offices in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., says it's been hearing about the poster from clients since April. Amica's main concern is that the poster doesn't fully explain the consequences that could ultimately prompt people to leave the country forever. Concern for immigrants' legal rights Titled, "A Warning to Self-Deport," the top half of the post goes over the benefits of self-deportation, saying it's safe and there will be future opportunities for returning with legal status. The bottom half of the poster goes over consequences for staying, which include immediate deportation, fines and penalties, and possible imprisonment. CBS News Baltimore Michael Lukens, executive director for Amica, said the poster has been put up in immigration courts and detention facilities. He also said the poster doesn't have credible legal advice. "It talks about taking a self-deport, well, that's not really a thing," Lukens said. "If someone is in front of a judge, they have the right to fight their case. A person can ask for something called involuntary departure to the judge." Lukens said that the poster doesn't get into all of the negative impacts someone could run into if they take this option, which includes being barred from returning to the country and fighting their case in court. "There's a reason we have courts and there's a reason we have attorneys to help people," Lukens said. We don't use posters to try and get people to give up their legal rights," he said. WJZ reached out to the Executive Office for Immigration Review about the poster and concerns raised by Lukens. EOIR conducts removal proceedings in immigration courts. A press secretary for EOIR declined to comment via email. Migrants take Trump's offer to self-deport Meanwhile, the first group of undocumented migrants who took President Donald Trump's $1,000 offer to self-deport arrived in Honduras and Colombia on Monday. In total, 64 migrants took the voluntary charter flight from Houston, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. One of those migrants, 22-year-old Wilson Ariel Saenz, told reporters after arriving in Honduras that he took the offer because things are "ugly" in the U.S. The president said he's open to bringing certain undocumented migrants back into the country. "We're going to work with them so that maybe someday, with a little work, they can come back in if they're good people," Trump said. "If they're the kind of people that we want in our company." This all comes as the government has cut funding for immigrant legal support services, including a program Amica ran to provide legal support in detention centers. Lukens said Amica will continue to help as much as it can. "Is it efficient? No. Is it as effective? No. Are we doing it unfunded? Yes," Lukens said.
