Florida Keys sheriff may be illegally jailing immigrants

Miami residents understand that their city and state have a large population of immigrants. These immigrants are part of the community. Occasionally, these immigrants become part of the legal system when immigration issues come into play.

The American Civil Liberties Union, Southern Poverty Law Center, and LatinoJustice have sent a letter to the sheriff in Monroe County stating that he is using an out-of-date federal detainer form to illegally jail immigrants in violation of the Constitution. The groups state that using an immigration detainer is not a court order and is not legally binding to hold a person in jail. Instead, immigration detainers are a request by the federal immigration agency to have a local jail hold an inmate after they would be released in order to allow the immigration agency to take custody. Local jails that are using the detainer are believed to be in violation of the Fourth Amendment.

When a person or family is facing immigration issues, they often do not know where to turn. U.S. immigration law can be complicated, and the stakes are high. An attorney who practices in the area of immigration law can help their client with their immigration problems. An attorney understands immigration law and keeps their client’s best interests in mind at all times. They can make sure their client is receiving the best representation and that their legal issues are untangled. An attorney understands how important immigration issues are for their clients and that their livelihood is at stake in many cases.

Immigration issues are serious for thousands of Florida residents. An immigration attorney is an ally for immigrants and their legal issues.

Source: miamiherald.com, “Florida Keys sheriff illegally jails immigrants, ACLU says“, Gwen Filosa, Dec. 5, 2017