ADRIAN — People in need of legal assistance with immigration can get free help from the Immigration Assistance Office of the Adrian Dominican Sisters.

Sister Attracta Kelly, OP, an immigration attorney and former prioress of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, is the director. Also on staff are attorney Sarah Nash, paralegal Kyle Hibbard, and office manager Laura Negron-Terrones.

The office assists immigrants facing any challenge. Kelly especially recommends contacting them if you can answer “yes” to any of these questions:

• Do you have a spouse, parent or child who is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident?
• Have you or a close family member been the victim of a crime?
• Were either of your parents U.S. citizens at the time of your birth?
• Did you flee persecution in your home country or are you afraid of returning to your home country?
• Have you been abused by a U. S. citizen or legal permanent resident spouse, parent, or an adult son or daughter?
• Are you under age 18 and abused, abandoned, or neglected by at least one parent?
• Are you a Cuban citizen or the child or spouse of a Cuban citizen?

Advice for business owners to protect employees’ rights

The Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Immigration Assistance Office offers the following advice for business owners to help protect their employees’ rights.

• If U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) comes into a business to arrest somebody, the officer must have the name of the person they want to arrest, and the name needs to be on a warrant signed by a judge.
• If an employee is being arrested, the business owner should find out if the employee has an immigration attorney and, if the answer is yes, make sure the employee has a chance to call their attorney before being taken from the premises. Business owners who are in this situation can also call their own immigration attorney if they have one.

The Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Immigration Assistance Office was opened in September 2017. For more information, contact Sister Attracta Kelly at 517-266-3448 or [email protected].

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