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Disclaimer: The Client Hub is available to the general public. Use of the Client Hub does not establish an attorney-client relationship or any other provider-client relationship between the reader and World Relief, nor does it provide legal advice. To learn more about how the information may apply to your case, please contact a qualified DOJ Accredited Representative or immigration attorney. You can search for a qualified legal representative at https://worldrelief.org/immigration-legal-services/ and https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/legaldirectory/.

Important Update

January 20th, 2025

Executive Order Immigration

World Relief Responds to President Trump’s Inaugural Address

In his inaugural address today, President Donald Trump announced a series of actions impacting the dynamics at the U.S.-Mexico border and seeking to expand deportations of individuals already within the country, with executive orders expected to follow shortly.

Areas of Service at World Relief Chicagoland

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To receive case management, employment services, or help with public benefits, please complete our intake form

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Immigration Legal Service

To receive the support and knowledge you need to maintain stable immigration status, for yourself and your family here in the U.S.

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Learn English in Chicago

Online and in-person English language classes for immigrants and refugees in Chicago, with different course types for your needs

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Learn English in the suburbs

Online and in-person English language classes for immigrants and refugees in the Aurora area and DuPage County

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Frequently Asked Questions

What rights do non-citizens have?

Noncitizens have rights, including:

Not opening your door if an ICE or other law enforcement officer is at your door. You can ask to see a judicial warrant through the window or ask the officer to slide it under the door. If the warrant is not signed by a judge, or with your specific name and address on it, do not open the door.
When questioned by ICE, remaining silent or telling them that you want to talk to your attorney or DOJ accredited representative before answering their questions or providing any documentation. If you are not sure if the officer is from ICE or another agency, ask the officer.
Not signing anything without first speaking to an attorney or DOJ accredited representative. It is important not to sign anything or you may lose your right to meet with an attorney or attend an immigration hearing before being deported.
If you are outside, asking if you can leave, and leaving calmly if the officer says yes.
If you do not have lawful status, it is recommended not to carry documentation showing your country of origin. Do not carry false immigration documents.
Helpful Sites:
- Red Cards – print your own or order for free. Available in 14 languages. Carry this card with you so you are prepared to exercise your rights.
- How to Use Your Red Card – illustrated and multilingual
- Know Your Rights and What Immigrant Families Should Do Now – available in 8 languages
- A Guide to Workplace Rights for Immigrants – available in English and Spanish
- A Guide to Your Rights When Interacting with Law Enforcement – available in 10 languages
- Know Your Rights Tutorial Videos – available in 6 languages
- Know Your Rights: Immigrant Rights – available in 16 languages; various scenarios
- Know Your Rights: 100 Mile Border Zone – available in 9 languages

How can my family and I prepare for increased immigration enforcement?

Here are some links to templates and other resources:

Family Preparedness Plan - available in English, Chinese, and Spanish. Focuses on California residents.
Safety Planning
Emergency Planning Guide – available in English and Spanish
Create an Emergency Plan - available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole
Make a Plan: Essential Steps for Migrant Parents for Preventing Family Separation – available in English and Spanish

What can I do if my loved one is detained by ICE?

What can I do if my loved one is detained by ICE?

Consult the plan

If your loved one provided you with an emergency preparedness plan, consult the plan and follow the action steps.

Locate them:

If you are not sure where they are being held, search the ICE Detainee Locator for persons 18 years or older. You will need their A-number (an 8 or 9 digit number assigned by the U.S. government) and country of birth, or all of the following: first name, last name, and country of birth (date of birth is optional). Please note the online Locator will only work if the information you input matches ICE’s information exactly.
When you locate your loved one, you can contact the detention facility to schedule calls or visits. The facility may only allow for virtual visits.
- You can also ask the facility the processes for (1) setting up phone accounts for your loved one to call you, and (2) sending your loved one money for any food or basic necessities while in detention.

Exercise caution in conversations with them: If your loved one contacts you after apprehension by ICE, do not discuss their country of birth or immigration status over the phone. ICE can listen to these conversations. Your loved one should only discuss these topics, as well as any criminal history, with their attorney or DOJ Accredited Representative.

Connect them with legal assistance: If your loved one does not already have an experienced immigration law practitioner assisting them, contact a qualified practitioner to discuss how you can assist your loved one with obtaining representation while they are detained. Here is a nationwide directory of low-cost and free immigration legal service providers.

Check to see if they have a case pending before the Immigration Court:

Locate their immigration court hearing information at EOIR Automated Case Information by inputting their A-number. Keep checking this regularly if information does not appear initially.

Some individuals do not have a right to a hearing before the Immigration Court.

Report raids: If your loved one was apprehended during an immigration raid to a workplace or other location, report this to your city or state’s rapid response network, if there is one. Some networks include:

How can I find legal assistance?

It is important to consult with a person who is qualified to practice immigration law – either an attorney licensed in the U.S. or a Department of Justice (DOJ) Accredited Representative. You can search for nonprofit, qualified practitioners in the World Relief Legal Support Network or National Immigration Legal Services Directory. You can also ask check the provider’s name on the DOJ Accredited Representatives Roster or ask to see their law license.

Beware of individuals and businesses that are not authorized to practice law. Here are some websites to help you avoid immigration scams and notario fraud:

Will people be deported? Who is at risk?

Refugees have lawful status and are not deportable, unless there are serious criminal issues, and even then, they would have an opportunity to apply for other protections if being deported to their country would make them more likely than not to be tortured or persecuted.
For individuals who have a temporary legal protection, such as Temporary Protected Status, parole, Deferred Action or Deferred Enforced Departure, it is possible that President Trump will follow through on campaign pledges to end some of these protections — but that will likely take time, and we anticipate legal challenges to his actions. The best advice we can give is to consult with a DOJ-accredited representative or an immigration attorney who can help you to understand your specific circumstances and risks — and to help pursue more permanent legal protections if you qualify. You can find our network of offices and affiliate sites with Immigration Legal Services at worldrelief.org/immigration-legal-services.
For individuals who are already in an immigration court proceeding, U.S. law ensures that you have due process, so you should not be at risk of deportation until your final immigration court proceeding — so long as you always show up for scheduled hearings. If you are scheduled for a hearing and do not already have legal representation, contact a low-cost removal defense provider. You can search for help at www.immigrationadvocates.org/legaldirectory/. If you do not have time to find legal representation before your hearing, attend your hearing and ask the judge for more time to find counsel.
For those who are undocumented, who entered the United States without inspection or who overstayed a temporary visa, it is possible that the Trump administration could seek to begin removal proceedings, as he has pledged to do. However, the Trump administration’s ability to carry out this policy could be limited by the amount of funding appropriated by the U.S. Congress and legal challenges. Congress is very unlikely to appropriate the full amount of funding necessary to deport all undocumented immigrants. We urge you to familiarize yourself with your rights under U.S. law (attend a Know Your Rights training) and to consult with a DOJ-accredited representative or experienced immigration attorney to review if you have options for legal status under the law.

Is my refugee status at risk?

Refugees who have already been admitted have lawful status that can’t be changed by Presidential order. Refugee status is “indefinite” and therefore does not expire. However, refugees should continue to apply for green cards as they become eligible if advised by their legal advisors, since the law that requires this hasn’t changed. At the appropriate time refugees may also apply for naturalization to become a U.S. Citizen.

Does this mean my family member will not be able to come to the U.S. for the next four years?

We will need to wait to see how the new administration proceeds with family reunification cases, but individuals who are U.S. citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents have a right under law to petition for particular family members, and it would take a change in law by the Congress, not just a presidential decree, to eliminate this right. That said, it is possible that the new Trump administration could slow the processing of cases. World Relief will continue to advocate for policies that reunite families.

What does the DACA ruling on January 17, 2025 mean for DACA applicants and recipients?

DACA Update

On Friday, January 17, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a federal district court ruling that the Biden administration’s 2022 Final Rule to codify DACA violated U.S. law. However, the Fifth Circuit:

Limited the scope of the lower court’s ruling to Texas, rather than nationwide;
Stayed the ruling, pending appeal, to keep DACA available for current recipients; and
Kept deportation protections potentially intact, even if DACA-based work authorization is terminated under a future ruling.

What does this mean for current DACA recipients?

Current DACA recipients can still renew their DACA and DACA-based work authorization.
Current grants of DACA and related work authorization remain valid until expiration, unless individually terminated.

What does this mean for initial DACA applicants? USCIS will continue to accept initial DACA applications, but will not process them at this time.

What’s next? It is unclear how President Trump will handle DACA. World Relief continues to call upon Congress to create a permanent pathway to citizenship for Dreamers to provide them with an opportunity for stability and full integration into their home in the U.S.

What will happen with DACA?

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program provides eligible, undocumented young people who arrived before age 16 an opportunity to remain in the United States and to apply for work authorization. DACA is still in effect for the moment.
However, independent of the new presidential administration, it is facing legal challenges and could be terminated by the courts in the coming year or two. It’s also possible that President Trump could seek to terminate DACA, which he attempted to do in his first term. That effort was blocked when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that his administration failed to follow the proper procedure to terminate DACA — but they also made clear that the executive branch does indeed have the authority to terminate this program, which was initially created not by Congress but by the executive branch, if it follows the proper procedure. Those who currently benefit from DACA should consult with a Department of Justice accredited representative or immigration attorney to assess what options they may have, if any, under the law. Even if your DACA is still valid for a year or more, consider submitting your renewal application prior to Inauguration Day (January 20, 2025), as this could protect you longer even if DACA is terminated. DACA recipients planning to travel outside the U.S. on advance parole should strongly consider returning prior to January 20, 2025.