Those who seek asylum in the United States may have the right to remain in Florida or other states while their cases are pending. On Aug. 9, a judge ordered the Trump administration to halt the deportation of a mother and child who were battling to stay in the country. The two were returned from El Salvador to the United States so that the federal government could comply with the order.
If the order was ignored, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and others would have been asked to explain to the judge why they shouldn’t be held in contempt. The individuals were put on a plane despite assurances made on Aug. 8 that no one would be deported until the end of Aug. 9. However, the mother and daughter were taken from a detention facility during an emergency hearing prior to that deadline. Their attorney found out about the deportation during a pause in proceedings.
The pair and six others are represented in a federal lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union. It seeks to challenge a decision made by Sessions to make it harder for those who were victims of gang and domestic violence to attain asylum. According to the woman who was temporarily deported, she came to America to escape an abusive husband as well as extortion from a gang.
Individuals who have entered the United States because of a fear of persecution in their home country may be eligible for asylum. Immigrants may have a better chance of having their requests approved by retaining counsel.
