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Bowling Green Immigration Attorney Says Lack of Clarity on New Rules Has Many Immigrants Worried

Jacob Ryan

A Bowling Green immigration attorney says many undocumented immigrants in the region are asking if they’ll be impacted by President Trump’s recent executive orders.

Brett Reynolds says it’s a hard question to answer amid court challenges and a lack of consistency in messages coming from Washington.

He’s advising people in the country illegally to lay low for the time being.

"My advice would be to just stay the course, and stay under the radar. Don't call attention to yourself. Don't get a speeding ticket, don't get a DUI. Anything like that is going to put you at risk for being removed fairly expeditiously."

Reynolds says until just recently, he wasn’t concerned for undocumented immigrants with clean records. But after studying President Trump’s recent policy change on immigration, he now thinks everyone—including children--should be concerned.

"The way I'm reading these documents now, I'm seeing that I think that everyone who is here out of status is subject to removal pretty immediately--and that's got to be terrifying to a lot of the community."

Reynolds says he also expects more stringent rules on how employment visas are granted. He also thinks more undocumented immigrants will avoid court appointments out of fear of deportation.

Reynolds will be one the attorneys taking questions at an immigration law forum at Western Kentucky University Tuesday night.

The event is open to the public and takes place at the Downing Student Union from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Lisa is a Scottsville native and WKU alum. She has worked in radio as a news reporter and anchor for 18 years. Prior to joining WKU Public Radio, she most recently worked at WHAS in Louisville and WLAC in Nashville. She has received numerous awards from the Associated Press, including Best Reporter in Kentucky. Many of her stories have been heard on NPR.
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