Elizabeth Priya Kumar, a wedding planner in New York specializing in destination weddings for U.S.-based clients, is working with a couple reconsidering their wedding location. They had hoped to have it in Delhi, India, where the groom, a legal resident, is from. Now, they are considering having their wedding in Louisiana, where the bride’s family is from, to avoid immigration risks.
But that would mean that his family, who lives in Delhi, would be unable to attend.
The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown has also affected couples planning destination weddings who must now consider that some guests might not be able to attend over concerns of being detained or denied re-entry to the United States.
These concerns come as the Trump administration attempts to increase the pace of deportations, taking more aggressive actions in recent weeks, including deporting a 2-year-old U.S. citizen to Honduras.
Murad Awawdeh, the president of the New York Immigration Coalition, said that the Trump administration has issued hundreds of anti-immigrant policies, actions and executive orders. “It has never been about safety and security with this administration, it’s about cruelty,” Mr. Awawdeh said. “They want to sow as much chaos, fear and confusion as possible to scare people, and to an extent it’s working.”
Immigration lawyers and experts recommend that individuals who are not U.S. citizens consult with an attorney before traveling. Adding to that, Ms. Jennings said, “Generally speaking, clients that have Temporary Protected Status, DACA or a criminal history — our advice to them is simply: Don’t travel.”
Ms. Jennings said that permanent residents who spend extended periods of time outside of the country have also experienced increased scrutiny, and she recommends carrying pertinent immigration documents at all times, even when traveling domestically.
