For the second time, I’ve run across a situation where US Immigration & Customs Enforcement has detained an immigrant that they say has a removal order — only to find out that, in fact, the immigrant in question never appeared before an immigration judge!

In the most recent case, an immigrant was charged by local police with driving without a license (which can lead to unpleasant interactions with state and federal authorities: Portuguese speaking readers, click here). Apparently, his name matched that of someone with an order of removal (or “deportation” as it was once known) and he was taken into immigration custody. I met with him, heard his story and discussed the case with the Detention and Removal Office, and after a fingerprint check, they agreed that they had the wrong man… and assigned a new alien number for further court proceedings, with a new Notice to Appear to issue.

A mix of bad news, good news, and bad news… sometimes, immigration practice is like that.

Remember, just because Immigration makes a statement, that’s not the end of the story!