ech, that is true theoretically, but I have accompanied Guatemaltecos and Chiapans in the INS process, and it has been the worst travesties of justice I have witnessed, well almost. First the van is stopped on the highway to "check".Then they are all arrested and brought to jail (women whose children are at home, and legals, and the whole bunch). Then, when they get around to it, they are sorted through and the legals released. (Forget about filing suit for false arrest and imprisonment). Some of the women are released if their legal status is uncertain. They are presented papers which they are forced to sign. The papers are in English. The hearing officers gives them a spiel, which interrogates them about their legal status, place of origin, etc. which is done very quickly. They are told about legal counsel that there is no time to get a lawyer to be present, unless they can retain one and the lawyer can get here in the next half hour. The ones caught in Connecticut and jailed can be sent to either Louisiana or Pennsylvania to prevent overcrowding in the Conn. facilities. This means that the person is far away from people they know who can help them. The deportation is done the way criminal transportation is done, secretly. The detained deportee is allowed some possessions to be brought to INS to be given to the deportee. If given cash it can be taken in bribes. The cedulas disappear, too. Since noone knows which flight they are on, the family does not know when to meet him, but they probably are held in detention in their country also, and then fined. No pay fine no release. I had lawyers who wanted to help in some of the cases, but the way the INS workd the cases, the lawyers were double talked and double dealed so that they were totally ineffective. Sorry, long post. but you have to know that's the INS for Latinos