To carry or not to carry.. that is the question...

[SirLancelot 1]

The replacement cost of the actual GC is huge

What is the cost? I have no idea.

When I say replacement cost, I don't mean the monetary cost of replacement. I'm talking about the hassle, the pressure, the frustration, the fear, the guilt, the time and everything that goes along with trying to get another GC sent to you. It would take at least a month for a replacement card to be issued.

[SirLancelot 1]

I did read the article. The point being he was charged on a real crime--driving a stolen vehicle--and the GC infraction was a side note. Your average Joe whose not breaking real laws won't be stopped randomly to check for his or her GC. If you're arrested for driving a stolen vehicle, no license and no insurance, you ought to have your GC status stripped and deported!

Well that's a matter for the immigration court to later decide, he may well lose his LPR status.

However you continue to ignore the main point, the fact that he was held without being able to post bail for 6 days because he didn't have his Green Card on him. If he did have it he could have posted bail and been out of jail within a day.

Doc, had this same individual been on a K-1 visa which expired, even if he married within 90 days, I'm willing to wager "all in" that he have been deported rather than just detained in jail for 6 days.

[SteveLaura 0]

The replacement cost of the actual GC is huge

What is the cost? I have no idea.

When I say replacement cost, I don't mean the monetary cost of replacement. I'm talking about the hassle, the pressure, the frustration, the fear, the guilt, the time and everything that goes along with trying to get another GC sent to you. It would take at least a month for a replacement card to be issued.

OK, but I would be most concerned with the money, quite frankly. Second would be the hassle. Personally, I wouldn't have any fear or guilt. The GC is in my wallet, but I generally forget it's there. It's just another card in an already over-burderned wallet.

[Dr_LHA 3]

Doc, had this same individual been on a K-1 visa which expired, even if he married within 90 days, I'm willing to wager "all in" that he have been deported rather than just detained in jail for 6 days.

I would be willing to bet that he wouldn't, but he might have ended up in front of an immigration judge before that determination was made. People don't just get kicked out of the USA without a judge determining that they should be.

[kittykatwoman 0]

You all need to better educated yourselves on some US history.

I don't think you know us well enough to judge our US history knowledge...

If one can't see and understand the reference to Rosa Park, then the description fits. And I never directed the remark towards you. You never made any mention of Rosa Parks, so my comment wasn't directed at you.

So what does "You ALL blablabla" means, by all you meant only Dr_LHA???? Why would you use yourselves to speak to or about one person maybe you should "educate" yourself with some English grammar or something or just admit your assumption is wrong.

Edited July 21, 2007 by kittykatwoman

[SirLancelot 1]

You all need to better educated yourselves on some US history.

I don't think you know us well enough to judge our US history knowledge...

If one can't see and understand the reference to Rosa Park, then the description fits. And I never directed the remark towards you. You never made any mention of Rosa Parks, so my comment wasn't directed at you.

So what does "You ALL blablabla" means, by all you meant only Dr_LHA???? Why would you use yourselves to speak to or about one person maybe you should "educate" yourself with some English grammar or something or just admit your assumption is wrong.

You're a rather ungrateful kat, aren't you?

I don't carry it with me.

I have a ID card + a driver license card in my wallet.

According to the people I was defending you against, they are telling you that you're a law breaker. You must carry your GC at all times.

You better change course and start carrying your GC.

I guess I was stupid enough to defend you. I won't make that mistake again.

[kittykatwoman 0]

You all need to better educated yourselves on some US history.

I don't think you know us well enough to judge our US history knowledge...

If one can't see and understand the reference to Rosa Park, then the description fits. And I never directed the remark towards you. You never made any mention of Rosa Parks, so my comment wasn't directed at you.

So what does "You ALL blablabla" means, by all you meant only Dr_LHA???? Why would you use yourselves to speak to or about one person maybe you should "educate" yourself with some English grammar or something or just admit your assumption is wrong.

You're a rather ungrateful kat, aren't you?

I don't carry it with me.

I have a ID card + a driver license card in my wallet.

According to the people I was defending you against, they are telling you that you're a law breaker. You must carry your GC at all times.

You better change course and start carrying your GC.

I guess I was stupid enough to defend you. I won't make that mistake again.

I don't need anybody to defend me... What I do with my green card is my own problem, I don't care what you think and don't care what other people do...

Ungrateful... By not letting you assume some random generalization???

Edited July 21, 2007 by kittykatwoman

[SirLancelot 1]

I don't need anybody to defend me... What I do with my green card is my own problem, I don't care what you think and don't care what other people do...

Ungrateful... By not letting you assume some random generalization???

Clearly the concensus on this thread is that regardless of whether you publize the fact or not, if you don't carry your GC, you're breaking the law. So you've already acknoweldge that you don't carry a GC at all times, so you're breaking the law.

I was trying to defend you by saying you're not, but after reading your post, I'll change my stance. You're a law breaker and you need to change your behavior. Or go back to France. We don't need law breakers in the US.

[kittykatwoman 0]

You're a law breaker and you need to change your behavior. Or go back to France. We don't need law breakers in the US.

Yee-ha!! Git-R-Done cooter!

[Tom_Jim 40]

This thread seems to be going down the drain fast. Not a surprise really, seeing who has been firing the parting shots. It appears that The Troll is out in full force and like I've surmised in a previous post, The Troll's namesake is really contrary to his actions exhibited here. And in a morbid way, seeks out adversity in many of these threads. Pay no attention and never feed the trolls.

Well, back to the pertinent issue. I would suggest to any permanent resident who lives in, visits or passes through Loudon County, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, DC (our neighbor) to carry their greencard with them at all times. County law enforcement officers have been newly deputized to enforce immigration laws and, at their discretion, may ask to see evidence of legal status in the United States. Unsatisfied proofs of evidence and answers may render the subject to jail time.

Despite the fact that a certain member bemoans the idea that some here advocate the carrying of the greencard at all times, pursuant to the law, constitutes some semblance of fear mongering, the language of USCIS guide M-618 is clear. Further, the guide for PR is clearer still:The Permanent Resident Card, Form I-551, is issued to all Permanent Residents as evidence of alien registration and their permanent status in the US. The card must be in your possession at all times. This requirement means that you are not only required to have a currently valid Form I-551 at all times, but also that you must carry your currently valid Form I-551 on your person at all times. I can only hope, that the very same member wouldn't be as harsh and rash when his wife decides to advocate the very same thing when she finally avails of the greencard.

[TinTin and Samby 11]

Hello to All.

Well this thead has wandered to and fro quite a bit. And I did think about whether an additional post would serve any useful purpose. I utlimately decided that I did want to share my perspective on this topic, so here it is:

Some of the off-point commentary aside, the main thrust of this thread has been 1 constituency quoting the exact english verbiage of the law regarding the requirement to have the I-551 on your person at all time in order to comply with the law vs the other consituency that feels some risk/reward allocation should be made to determine whether compliance with this law was sound and pragmatic,

We all have seen through our individual and shared journeys that it is difficult, if not dangerous, to take written vebiage at face value. There are innumerable examples where something is written and yet exceptions are made. In other cases, we have examples where following requirements that are written are, in fact, at times insufficient. Broadening this past the world of immigration, we read all of the time about laws that are passed by 1 governmental entity and then another issues a pronouncement that they have either interpretted that law in a certain (seemingly different from the literal vebiage) way or have decided that they simply will not enforce a given law that is on the books.

Personally, I beleive that the law requiring that LPRs carry their I-551 on their person at all times is, in fact, being complied with by having a photocopy of the I-551 on your person and the original readly accessable to produce if requested in order to verify the veracity of the photocopy. It is my beleive that "readily accessable" can reasonably be interpreted as within the same city/county of residence. So in this regard, if I were to take an out of state or other trip of significant distance from my home, I would, in fact, choose to pack my original I-551 for that trip, just as I would other necessary 'exceptional' items that I would take on a longer distance trip, but not carry on my person when in close proximaty to my home residence.

In my opinion, I believe that the law exists to require that all LPRS are able to immediately demonstrate their legal right to be in the USA, if required. It seems to me that this is the spirit behind this law. I beleive that a photocopy of the I-551 satisfies that spirit: it contains all of the information of the original -all of the information needed to verify legal status. If there is some subsequent inquiry into the authenticity of the I-551, then that can be addressed secondarily by retrieving the original I-551 from its secure location.

These are MY beleifs. I believe that this approach IS in compliance with existing law. Your beliefs may be differnent.

Warm Regards,

Samby

[Tom_Jim 40]

Madam,

What a long-winded retort that has no substantive contribution, save for what you believe the laws to be.

Regardless of what you feel, regardless of your interpretations, regardless of your beleifs[sic], regardless of what you deem may constitute dangerous from things learned past, the only danger here is not complying with very clear instructions that requires you to carry "the card". There is no abstract to that statement, madam.

Beleif it or not.

[SirLancelot 1]

Madam,

What a long-winded retort that has no substantive contribution, save for what you believe the laws to be.

Regardless of what you feel, regardless of your interpretations, regardless of your beleifs[sic], regardless of what you deem may constitute dangerous from things learned past, the only danger here is not complying with very clear instructions that requires you to carry "the card". There is no abstract to that statement, madam.

Beleif it or not.

Rosa Parks!

Enough said.

[KarenCee 3]

I guess I'm just really stupid, but why are a lot of you people making such a HUGE deal out of NOT wanting to carry your GC? Is it an inconvenience to you or in some way too heavy of a thing to carry? Yeah, I suppose that tiny plastic card is a bit of an ordeal to keep on you when you leave the house. Gawd, the things some people get all bent out of shape on here about....

[Tom_Jim 40]

I guess I'm just really stupid, but why are a lot of you people making such a HUGE deal out of NOT wanting to carry your GC? Is it an inconvenience to you or in some way too heavy of a thing to carry? Yeah, I suppose that tiny plastic card is a bit of an ordeal to keep on you when you leave the house. Gawd, the things some people get all bent out of shape on here about....

Indeed. Apparently, some here find it to be quite burdensome to carry the thing with them. And apparently, some aren't seeing the scope of the argument and uttering non-sequitur historical names.

I heard the loudest most pitiful scream from right under the bridge just a moment ago.