Making Sure Your Family is Ready if you Get Deported

Write down your emergency plan. Write down important contacts, immigration information, and medical information. It helps your family know what to do if you are detained. ‘We Have Rights” has a blank form that you can fill out. 

• Share the plan with your emergency contact. This should be someone you really trust. It is important that they know where to find your emergency plan in case you are detained by ICE or are deported. Never share your emergency plan with ICE.
   
• Talk to your family about your plan. Without worrying them, let your children know who will take care of them if for some reason you can’t.
   
• Make sure your emergency contact has the ICE detainee locator. To search for someone in ICE custody, go to: locator.ice.gov/odls/homePage.do 

It may be important for everyone in the family to have a passport. Everyone needs a passport to travel internationally, including children. You need a passport to travel even if you are deported. If your child does not have a passport, they could be separated from you if you are deported. They will not be able to travel with you or join you without a passport. Parents should get passports for all children. A minor child cannot get a passport without the parent.

• Children born in the United States should be eligible for a U.S. passport. LawHelpMN has a fact sheet that tells you how to apply for a U.S. passport for a child born in the United States. 
   
• If you or your child were born in a different country, check with that country’s embassy or consulate for more information about getting a passport.
   
• Some children may be eligible for both a U.S. passport and a passport from their parent’s country of birth.

You should keep all your important documents in a safe place. This includes:

• Passports
• Birth certificates
• Medical records
• Immigration papers
• Court papers
• Titles to your house or car
• Bank information

Tell someone you trust where these important documents are in case you are detained or deported.

It might be a good idea to carry certain documents with you every day. This depends on the type of immigration status you have. Ask an immigration lawyer if there are any documents you should keep with you.

If you are worried you might be deported, set up a Delegation of Parental Authority (DOPA). A DOPA is a document that lets someone take care of your children when you can’t. You need to do a separate DOPA for each child.

• A DOPA gives someone else permission to make decisions about your child’s care, medical treatment, custody, and property.
   
• A DOPA doesn't give that person permission to decide things like adoption or marriage.
   
• A DOPA doesn't take away any of your rights to make decisions for your children. You can still cancel any decisions made by the person you name in the DOPA. LawHelpMN has a fact sheet that can help you fill out a DOPA. 

Education is a right and a requirement in Minnesota. All children between the ages of 7 and 17 have to go to school. This includes children who are immigrants. It can cause legal problems if your child misses too much school. LawHelpMN has a fact sheet that explains what happens if your children misses school. 

If you have a DOPA, make sure someone at the school has a copy. Then if you can’t pick your children up there is a record of who can. And who can be responsible for them if you are not around. 

Some people reach out to immigrants pretending to offer help so they can take your money or property. Beware of anyone who calls, texts, or sends you a letter offering to be added to your bank account or car title. Don’t give personal information or sign anything without talking to a lawyer.

You want to be able to access your money if you are deported.

• Set up a bank account that has online banking. This means you can look at your account and move money online. You don’t have to go to a bank in person.
   
• Make sure that the bank lets you log in to your account from anywhere in the world.
   
• Keep your passwords with you. Memorize your passwords, keep them with you, or keep them in an online password manager.

Also think about a joint bank account. This is an account shared by 2 or more people. Everyone whose name is on the account can put money in the account. They can also take money out of the account. There are risks to having a joint account. The other person could take your money out of the account legally without your permission. It is important to really trust someone if you share a bank account with them.

You are responsible for your credit card debt and loans no matter where you live. Legally, you still have to pay it even if you are deported.

If you leave the U.S. with unpaid debt, there are things the credit card company can do that could affect you later if you ever return.

• If you miss a credit card payment, there will probably be fees and penalties on your debt.
   
• If the debt reaches a certain level and you don’t send a payment, the credit card company may cancel your credit card. They might sell the debt to a debt collector.
   
• A debt collector might sue you to get their money. They could garnish your bank account.
   
• Missed payments can be reported to credit bureaus. This could have a negative effect on your credit rating in the U.S. This makes it harder to get a loan, buy a car, or rent an apartment if you come back to the U.S.

If you own a car, you can add a second person to the title. This means that they own it equally with you. This can be helpful when it comes to getting auto insurance. It can also help when renewing the motor vehicle registration or selling the car. But adding someone else to the title of your car is also a risk. If someone else is on the title to your car, they can legally sell it or take it.

If you are detained or deported suddenly, you may not be able to pay your rent on time. Your lease might also expire while you are gone. Your landlord can file papers in court to evict you if you are late on rent or your lease has ended. If the court agrees to evict you, your personal belongings can be given away if you or your family are not there to take them. LawHelpMN has a fact sheet that talks about what you can do to get your things back after you move out.