Emergency alert: Keep proof of two years’ presence in your pocket (mantenga prueba de dos años presencia)

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If you are living in the Nashville area and crossed the border illegally at least two years ago, and you are arrested under Trump’s immigration crackdown, you have a right to a hearing before an Immigration Judge. That’s not all bad, because there are several forms of relief you may obtain in immigration court that can let you remain in the U.S. At the very least, you generally will be able to stay in the United States until your court case is concluded, which now could take two years or longer.

However, the catch is that you may be forced to prove on the spot at the time of your arrest that you have been in the U.S. at least two years; otherwise, a deportation agent can execute an “expedited removal” order and remove you immediately – without a hearing in front of the immigration judge with its due process protections and without review by anybody.