The Undocumented Immigrant Program

An undocumented immigrant is “a foreign-born person who lacks a right to be in the United States, having either entered without inspection (and not subsequently obtained any right to remain) or stayed beyond the expiration date of a visa or other status.” (Source: Nolo Plain English Law Dictionary.)  At Hyder Law, we have developed The Undocumented Immigrant Program, dedicated to assisting undocumented persons with Pre-Green Card Services.

Hyder Lawyers provide a direct response to the extensive and often unmet needs of undocumented persons.   We understand that undocumented persons often live in the deeply recessed shadows of society, a place full of fear and confusion because undocumented persons often to not have the help and information they need to improve their lives. 

Immigration is a two-way street; In order to receive the benefits of immigration law, applicants must usually fulfill certain legal obligations and comply with various federal and state laws and regulations.  Non-compliance can directly impact the likelihood of success of current or future immigration petitions.  At Hyder Law, we help to bring undocumented immigrants to comply with certain of their legal obligations to ensure future Green Card success, if/when the undocumented person becomes eligible for permanent residence. 

In specific, at Hyder Law, we assist persons who are not currentlyeligible to apply for a Green Card in the following ways:  (1) Filing taxes for them as “resident aliens”; Applying for valid, government issued identification such as a passport from the home country and a Consular Card (Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, and Brazil offer this I.D. irrespective of the applicant’s immigration status); And enrolling adult immigrants in FREE English language and GED programs.  In this way, Hyder Lawyers works at a critical juncture to connect immigrants with a host of services which they are lawfully eligible to obtain, and at the same time helps immigrants to fulfill their legal obligations and improve their likelihood of future Green Card success. 

Sam’s Story: An Example of How We Can Help Undocumented Immigrants 

A true client story best shows the human interest work involved in our undocumented immigrant services at Hyder Law.  “Sam,” a client, is a 21 year old man who sought help from Hyder Law shortly after the Obama Administration approved a new Deferred Action Program  (a policy whereby certain undocumented young people may apply for two-year work authorization and a two-year pass against deportation). 

Sam’s consultation revealed that a year earlier he had traveled from his native country of India to Guatemala, where “coyotes” stripped him of his passport and took him and a group of others to the Mexico/U.S. border.  The coyotes left Sam and the group at a high and dangerous wall at the border. Sam, because he is very athletic, was able to get over the wall.  But he was the only one in his group to make it over. 

On the other side of the wall, in the nighttime, Sam hid alone in a deep ditch for several hours and heard men speaking English all around him.  He did not know English so he did not know what these men were saying.  Understandably, even though Sam is a strong athlete, he was very afraid.  As Sam peeked out from the ditch, two American men crossed him; their boots on the ground were at the same level as his eyes.  He watched their heels cross back and forth and continued to hide. They never saw him hiding there.  When Sam ran out of the ditch later that night, he saw that many people around him had not made it.  That night when Sam made it to safety, he made a vow to himself – because he had survived the border crossing, he would never waste his life in America, he would do his very best in this country. Part of doing his best involved seeking immigration law services at Hyder Law.   

On the facts of Sam’s case, it was quickly established that Sam was not ineligible for the Obama Deferred Action Program.  However, knowing that Sam was eligible to enroll in an English Second Language course at a local high school, through a New York City agency, the lawyers at Hyder Law enrolled him.  When Sam successfully completes his English Language courses, he will be eligible to enter a GED program.  It is Sam’s top goal to get a GED in this country, another way he feels he can do his very best in the U.S.  Sam, and we at Hyder Law, are confident that one day there will be Immigration Reform that will make Sam eligible to get a Green Card.  Until then, we will continue to help Sam through our Undocumented Immigrant Program. 

Beware of Unauthorized Immigration Service Providers

Unfortunately, many individuals who are not accredited and qualified to provide immigration services represent and advertise themselves as “Immigration Consultants” and get many unsuspecting, innocent clients to hire them.  These fraudsters are not only engaging in the unauthorized practice of law, but they often charge high fees for little more than providing immigration applications and filling them in, often with a high rate of error.  Such errors are costly to the immigration community for many reasons, including the following: (1) immigration application fees can be costly; (2) the case may be irreparably damaged; and (3) and/or, as is often the case, the immigrant cannot afford to resubmit the application, correctly.  At Hyder Law, we have heard many unfortunate stories about immigrants being misled by unqualified persons providing fraudulent immigration services.  Please beware of such criminals.  At Hyder Law, we are committed to improving your life through our Undocumented Immigrant Program.

Please Call Today
To Learn More About Our
Undocumented Immigrant Package

 (718) 666-8648