In the face of the wave of arrests being carried out by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportations in the United States, it is important for immigrants to always have on hand the various documents that demonstrate their legal status.
In Miami and other cities in Florida, there is a key document that can be used to prove legal stay on American soil. This is the driver's license.
The reason why a driver's license serves to demonstrate legal status is because the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) only issues this document to foreigners with legal status.
Other key documents to avoid deportations in the United States
If you are an immigrant in Florida, always keep your driver's license with you. However, it is important to note that although this document is key, other requirements should not be overlooked to strengthen the demonstration of legal status before ICE.
Other important documents to prove legal stay in the United States are the visa, the green card, proof of citizenship, or the asylum form with a stamp issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
La Nación reported that according to Uscis, the following documents can also be used to prove legal stay: naturalization certificate, citizenship certificate, permanent resident card or alien registration receipt card, machine-readable immigrant visa and permanent resident stamp, which is evidence of immigration status while the person is waiting for their green card.
During this stage of deportations ordered by President Donald Trump, immigrants are advised to keep all their documents in order and have them on hand at all times in case they encounter any issues with ICE agents, who in January 2025, arrested 13,717 illegal migrants, 7,314 of whom were detained in the first week of the current president’s term.