Some immigration mistakes are minor. So small you might not even realize they matter until they do.
Jessica Colotl found that out the hard way. She was a political science student at Kennesaw State. One day, campus police pulled her over for a minor traffic violation. She did not have a license. What she didn’t realize was that this minor infraction would trigger deportation proceedings. Brought to the U.S. from Mexico at age 11, she now faced the possibility of being sent away. Not because of a crime, but because she did not understand the stakes.
Her story is not unique. It’s what happens when people don’t know the rules or how easily they can break them. “Immigration law is complex, constantly evolving, and lacks a comprehensive manual,” says Zaira Solano of Solano Immigration Law Firm. This article outlines five common mistakes that can result in immigration consequences.
The Top 5 Mistakes That Can Lead to Immigration Trouble
Most people we defend in removal proceedings didn’t end up there because of something they did wrong, but because of what they didn’t know. Prevention is the strongest legal defense most immigrants never hear about.
These are the kinds of mistakes that can change your life in an instant. So let us talk about them:
Driving Without a Valid License
In Georgia, undocumented individuals are not eligible to obtain a driver’s license legally. That’s the starting point. When someone is pulled over and cannot produce a valid license, they are often arrested. Now here’s where it snowballs: many local police departments have direct data-sharing agreements with ICE.
That means once you are booked, your information is handed off. Even if your traffic charge gets dropped or dismissed, ICE may already be waiting with a detainer. And at that point, the traffic stop is just the beginning of a much bigger problem. If you are undocumented, driving needs to be treated like a last resort.
Letting Your Visa or Work Permit Expire
The moment your visa or work permit expires and you have not taken any steps to renew or adjust your status, things begin to shift. For one, you begin accumulating unlawful presence. If that period exceeds 180 days, leaving the country could result in a three-year ban. Pass the one-year mark, and that becomes a ten-year bar.
What’s more, once you are out of status, you cannot legally work, you can’t renew your driver’s license in Georgia, and you lose certain legal protections that you may not even realize you had. This is one of the most preventable mistakes, so stay ahead of your deadlines, set reminders, and do not wait for a problem to appear before taking action.
Missing or Submitting the Wrong Documents
Ximena Arias-Cristobal was an undocumented immigrant college student at Dalton State when she got pulled over wrongly in what police admitted was a case of mistaken identity. However, what escalated the situation was not just the stop. It was the fact that she showed an international license, something Georgia doesn’t recognize, and that opened the door to ICE.
That’s how fast things can move when your paperwork is not aligned with the law. Whether it is a missing form, a translation you did not realize needed to be certified, or the wrong version of a USCIS application, documentation errors can delay your case, derail it completely, or land you in proceedings you were never prepared for.
Not Meeting Financial Sponsorship Requirements
When applying for a green card through a family-based petition, you must show how you’ll be financially supported. That’s where the Affidavit of Support (Form I-864) comes in. Your sponsor must prove they earn at least 125% of the federal poverty guidelines for their household size. USCIS checks this through tax returns, pay stubs, and bank statements.
If those numbers do not verify, or if they are missing entirely, your application may be delayed, denied, or left in limbo while you scramble to correct the issue. And in the meantime, you may lose your legal status or risk being placed in removal proceedings.
Conclusion
Immigration cases rarely fall apart all at once. It’s usually one detail, then another, and before you know it, you are deeper than you realized. That’s why prevention matters. Backup every file. Set reminders for every deadline. Look up your status online and pay attention to mail from immigration agencies, even if you think it’s just a notice. If you don’t understand something, seek help early. Because when you know the rules, you give yourself a better shot at staying protected and staying here.
Also Read: California to offer Free Health Care to Low-Income Immigrants
