While being knowledgeable about your rights as an immigrant is important, Sr. Sara Proctor, DW, advises on the importance of collecting and being able to present information that helps to support your case.

Here's Sr. Sara's story:

Utilizing my study of information on immigration, I was asked to meet with a Venezuelan couple in Tampa who were in the process of seeking asylum. Alejandro and Maria live in a hotel room with their two children. They came to Tampa from Denver, where their Asylum-seeking case was registered. Alejandro, a carpenter by trade, needed work. He saw the recent Florida Hurricane destruction as an opportunity to find work, utilizing his carpentry skills. My questioning of Alejandro and Maria revealed that they had not thought to notify immigration or their lawyer in Denver of their relocation to Florida. So, the first thing they did was to go back to Denver for their scheduled hearing and request that their case be transferred to Florida to their new lawyer. All went well, and the judge transferred their case.

While Alejandro and Maria are aware of their Red Card, "Know Your Rights," I sought to make them aware that the next steps in the asylum process would take years. During that time, they had to continue to keep before the courts the ever-present danger which led them to seek asylum.

They needed to engage in what I call the sequel to the Red Cards, namely, "Accumulate your Documentation." I told them to write to friends and family still in Venezuela for letters that described the life-threatening danger they faced if they hadn't fled. Also, I asked them to gather and document newspaper reports of the situation in Venezuela. Accumulating this documentation would strengthen their case as they prepare for further asylum hearings in the United States. Accumulate your documentation! This step is especially critical when one realizes that the overland trip to the United States results in many migrating families being stripped of their essential documents. Pursuing legal documents, passports, etc., is costly and time-consuming in the legal process.

Please keep Alejandro and Maria in your prayers with hope for them and the countless number here legally who have been welcomed by so many of us.

-------------------------------------

Things to know about asylum and immigration:

Seeking asylum is different from immigration. People who immigrate choose to move to a new country for a better life. Those who seek asylum flee from their homelands due to a legitimate fear of violence, human rights violations, or persecution from which they request protection. Asylum seekers must demonstrate they cannot return safely. In essence, immigration is a choice, while seeking asylum is necessary for safety. Asylum seekers need proof of identity (like a passport or birth certificate) and supporting documentation like police reports, medical records, or witness statements that corroborate claims and certified translations of any documents not in English.

A foreign citizen seeking to live permanently in the United States requires an immigrant visa and a sponsor. However, it's possible to immigrate to the United States without a sponsor through certain visa programs.

There are five requirements to become a US citizen: time periods for physical presence in the United States, time in a US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) District or State, moral character, English and civics knowledge, and an attachment to the Constitution.

Accumulate Your Documentation