Family Emergency Planning for At-Risk Individuals
If you do not have status in the United States, you are at risk. Therefore, you should have a family action plan. Discuss with your family members the details of your assets and your debts. Consider these critical questions:
- Do you need a power of attorney?
- What about guardianship paperwork for your children?
- Do you need to consider how property you own is deeded?
My advice to you is to also build your network as you consider answers to the previous questions. Do you know an attorney? Do you know a nurse, a trusted neighbor, an accountant, folks who can answer questions for you or help you when it’s needed?
The Gap Between Law and Reality
What the law says may not be enough to protect you. What should happen under the law is different than what could happen in reality. The law says that you should always have proof of your lawful residence status on you when you leave your home, but we’ve heard true stories of ICE taking those documents from you where they have no jurisdiction to do so.
So then should you instead carry photocopies of those documents, say your EAD, your employment authorization card, or your green card in your phone, or in your wallet?
State Department Visa Suspension
Effective January 21st, 2026, the State Department indefinitely paused the issuance of immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries, including Barbados, the Ivory Coast, the DRC, Ethiopia, Jamaica, Nigeria, et cetera, et cetera. This means that those visas were paused on the stated basis that those foreign nationals potentially were high risk of becoming a public charge to the US.
This announcement is important for you to know only impacts the issuance of immigrant visas by the consulate. It does not impact employment based visas, tourist visas, student visas, and other non-immigrant visas.
If you have a case, an immigrant visa case with one of the 75 impacted countries, I recommend that you speak with your attorney or an attorney if you do not have one to understand how your specific case will be impacted.
It is a minefield out here and as immigration attorneys, we are working hard. Please contact the Prince Firm with your questions.