Cancellation of Removal - How To Write Letters of Support for Cancellation of Removal

Nikki Mehrpoo Jacobson Attorney at Law / Professor of Law [email protected] THE JACOBSON LAW FIRM, APC Immigration & Nationality ǀ Workers' Compensation 510 West 6th St. Suite 326 Los Angeles , CA 90014 (310) 277-2266 (310) 277-3366 FAX Los Angeles Immigration Lawyers - Free Consultation www.thelosangeleslawyers.com

Cancellation of Removal for Non-Permanent Residents - How To Write Letters of Support for Cancellation of Removal

The letters that family members and friends write are important to support a request for Cancellation of Removal for Certain Non-permanent Residents. These letters can help prove to the Judge that the spouse, children and parents of the person detained would suffer very severe hardship if their loved one in detention were to be deported. The more detailed the letters, the better. When writing them remember that there are some specific things that letters of support should include.

TIPS FOR THOSE WRITING LETTERS:

*Use your own words. Please write the letter from your heart and be honest. Details are important since the letter gives the Judge another chance to get to know the person detained beyond their application and testimony.

*The purpose of the letter is to show the judge why the person detained deserves to be allowed to remain in the U.S. and what the hardship would be to the spouse, children or parents if that person were removed from the U.S.

*The letters should be addressed “Dear Immigration Judge" or “Honorable Immigration Judge."

*You should include the following information in your letter: your name, age, relationship to person detained (if family member, friend, etc.), address, occupation and immigration status (for example, U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident).

*Please explain how and for how long you have known the person detained and their family.

*Mention how important the person detained is to you and what exactly the hardship would be to you or to the family if that person were removed from the U.S. This could include how the family depends on the person detained (for money to pay the rent, buy the food, or pay other bills and how much money he usually pays every month, even how he helps with child care or household chores, and any other support he provides). If you have close emotional ties with the detainee, you should describe what it will mean to you if the person detained is removed. You should also discuss what it would be like for you if you had to leave the U.S. to return to the detainee’s home country, if this is the case.

*If you are from the country that the detainee is from and you know what things are like now in your home country, then you should write about what kind of life you and/or the detainee could expect to return to.

*If you know the detainee well and know about his problems, you should talk about them. Please explain how he got himself into problems in the first place and how he has changed since then. You should explain why you think he will be able to keep out of trouble if he is allowed to remain in the U.S.

*If you cannot express yourself well in English, you should write in your own language. Be sure that either you or the person detained get someone to translate the letter into English and sign a “certificate of translation." The original letter (in the foreign language) and the translation will have to be submitted to the court by the person detained.

*A typed or handwritten “certificate of translation" should be attached to the English translation of the letter:

Certificate of Translation

I,(name of translator),certify that I am competent to translate this document and that the translation is true and accurate to the best of my abilities.

(Signature of translator) (date)