Domestic (USA) Travel with 2 Yr GC

[Emancipation 2]

I ain't afraid of no detention tee hee..

Although I have heard of it happening here in CT.. ICE is particularly frustrated with our town, it is known as somewhat of a safe haven for undocumented individuals (I REFUSE to use the other wording).

[Krikit 1,164]

I ain't afraid of no detention tee hee..

Yeah, me either. I pretty much stayed in detention during my entire K-13 experience.

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Back in February we drove to Buffalo from Ontario and in the Buffalo airport they had some border patrol people walking about the airport asking people theri citizenship and when they asked us hubby had to show his passport... i guess we could of just lied and said both Americans.. but you know NeVER lie to them!! So he just showed his passport to them and we were on our way... this was just an informal themwalking around asking people that were in line to go through security. We were flying from Buffalo to Salt Lake City BTW...

Wow really? I use the Buffalo airport every time I go visit my fiance... I suppose you could call it my "local" airport. I've never seen immigration officials there in the million times i've used it to travel. Maybe there was something suspicious going on that day? It was rather interesting when I flew out in February the morning after that plane crashed in Buffalo trying to land at the airport... When I connected in Minneapolis everyone was asking me weird questions about Buffalo and what happened, like I was there to see it all go down... Anyways, I love going off topic eh? The point here, is that I learned to carry my GC with me at all time, when I get one... one day. I hear Colorado is becoming a very difficult place to live in if you're an out of status immigrant or an "undocumented individual" (for you Emancipation )

[Marilyn. 340]

Yeah, I always carry mine with me also. Do you know what's weird, though? They tell you not to carry the SSN card but you're constantly being asked for the number, and they tell you to always carry the GC and yet you're never asked to produce it. They've got it all backwards. Now here's my problem.... the SSN says do not carry it with you so I didn't.... and now I don't know where it is.

my problem is that I know my hubby's SSN but not mine

[Reba 2]

If for some reason you are stopped and asked to produce your green card and you do not have it with you, you can be put in detention indefinitely, until such time as you can produce your documentation. Which of course is difficult to do if you are in detention. Even US born citizens have been detained since 9/11 when they could not produce identification to prove their citizenship. *Everyone* should carry ID these days. It's not a very friendly world out there anymore

If for some reason you are asked your citizenship status and you say you are American and you are in fact Not American, you can get yourself into a lot of trouble!

They mostly have ID checkpoints on Mexico border states, but more and more cities are granting their Police forces to check immigrant status now. Even up here, I belive 3 or 4 cities in North Carolina have authority to detain anyone who cannot produce immigrant status ID if asked at a traffic stop.

I'd rather have it and not need, than need it and not have it.

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Well, that poses a question. What if you are in between your I-94 expiry date and the approval of your AOS and/or the approval of an EAD? Should you carry around your passport and NOA letter that you have a pending AOS case with you at all times? That seems a little extreme! If someone stooped me and all I had was a Ontario drivers license and I was in my fiance's car with Colorado State plates, would that be reason to detain me, since I cannot produce lawful immigration status? Or if I just had my passport with an expired I-94, they would assume I'm out of status and throw me in the big house? All unlikely scenarios, but that's scary to think about.

[Emancipation 2]

I hear Colorado is becoming a very difficult place to live in if you're an out of status immigrant or an "undocumented individual" (for you Emancipation )

tee hee.. nice one

I'd rather have it and not need, than need it and not have it.

I see what you are saying Reba, I guess I'm playing the odds right now... what are better odds.. me losing the blasted card.. or the odd of ICE stopping me on the street. I know which odds are better (esp. in my town)

I'm going to SC this weekend and my GC will be in my wallet. Not going to go so far from home and not take it of course, but here where I am 10 min away from my house I'll take the risk

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Georgia is already training local police officers to act as an extension of ICE, targeting drivers who are not able to produce a legal driver's license and detaining them with the potential for deportation. Routine traffic stops could become very problematic if you can't prove you are here legally. You definitely don't want to be caught without valid status identification in Georgia.

Edited April 21, 2009 by Kathryn41

[Reba 2]

Well, that poses a question. What if you are in between your I-94 expiry date and the approval of your AOS and/or the approval of an EAD? Should you carry around your passport and NOA letter that you have a pending AOS case with you at all times? That seems a little extreme! If someone stooped me and all I had was a Ontario drivers license and I was in my fiance's car with Colorado State plates, would that be reason to detain me, since I cannot produce lawful immigration status? Or if I just had my passport with an expired I-94, they would assume I'm out of status and throw me in the big house? All unlikely scenarios, but that's scary to think about.

There has been more than one person here on VJ who has undergone deportation procedings because they did not have status and they were stopped at a checkpoint. They were K1s who had not yet applied for AOS, and deemed out of status so they were sent packing.

If your I-94 is expired and you have an NOA for AOS, I'd carry a photocopy of it with you until you get your EAD. EAD is proof of legal status.