On September 28, 2023, APA Services led several other organizations in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas (PDF, 163KB)opens in new window to support potential process changes to an existing form of deportation relief known as non-LPR cancellation of removal. The letter expressed support for this effort to minimize the disruption of care that many qualifying relatives, particularly United States citizen or lawful permanent resident (LPR) children with disabilities or mental health issues face if their primary caretaker (e.g., a parent) is deported.
The letter explained that these changes to non-LPR cancellation of removal present a vital opportunity to make this form of relief more accessible to long-term residents in the United States who otherwise cannot apply for this remedy despite being potentially eligible for it. The letter also explained that it is an opportunity to modernize the hardship standard so that existing mental health issues among qualifying relatives are given significant weight in the non-LPR cancellation determination. The letter explained that incorporating these process changes and updating the hardship standard will ensure that non-LPR cancellation is an accessible form of relief to many undocumented immigrants who have been in the United States for decades.
For more information, contact Serena Dávila.