As many people in New York may know, immigrants who are undocumented often live constantly in fear of what might happen to them if they go to the wrong place at the wrong time. Many people have built lives in our state and others, and deportation could tear their families and lives apart.

As some New York residents may remember, in 2007, immigration agents carried out a raid on a neighborhood in New Haven, Connecticut. The city had just begun offering identification cards to immigrant residents without checking their immigration statuses. The next day, city neighborhoods were raided by immigration agents, and several people were arrested and detained.

According to the 11 illegal immigrants who have been facing deportation, the raid was conducted out of retaliation and done so illegally. They have argued that the agents did not have probable cause or legal warrants, and that their civil rights were blatantly violated. They sued the U.S. government.

Recently, the U.S. government paid $350,000 toward a settlement with the immigrants and effectively halted their deportation proceedings. One law student who was involved in the case said it was the largest settlement ever paid by the government in this type of lawsuit. While this likely came as welcome news to the 11 immigrants and their families, the U.S. government has not admitted fault in the matter and says it only settled the lawsuit to avoid extensive cost and litigation.

As this case clearly shows, government immigration agents are not always right to detain people. If you or someone you love is facing deportation, seeking legal advice from an experienced professional may be helpful.

Source: Business Insider, "The US Government Just Paid The Largest Settlement Ever In An Immigration Raid Lawsuit," Jana Kasperkevic, Feb. 16, 2012