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Have seen the advice about having an immigration lawyer engaged and carrying/assembling all paperwork. But if someone gets snatched, how can their loved ones know as soon as possible? [more inside]
posted by troywestfield at 6:37 AM - 12 answers

A friendly acquaintance has desperately been looking for a co-sponsor for her mother to acquire her green card and have asked if I would consider. I would like to help if I could. What do I need to know to make a decision? [more inside]
posted by violetk at 9:00 PM - 6 answers

I am 40. The case was one involving public disorder and property damage in the US when I was a student. I paid the restitution even though it wasn’t me. I was the guy who got arrested. The case was dismissed with no admissions of guilt or liability. I have the documentation of the dismissal of the case. Does anyone have advice in the current climate about someone I can talk to in order to work this out? I previously got a visa to travel (in Obama days) but it seems the world has changed. This worries me as a now middle aged man haunted by this. I want to travel to participate in an academic conference about social impacts of AI.
posted by hankmajor at 3:56 PM - 62 answers

Some family members and I really need to get proper wills. We are not rich. We have the real estate we live in, some underwhelming bank accounts, and maybe a car. I have a son. Do you know a lawyer who specializes in wills who is appropriate for simple folk like us? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 2:51 PM - 4 answers

I’m a relatively new first-time homeowner (closed in 2021), and the assessed value of my home went up significantly in 2024. However, last spring was a busy and distressed time and I just never got for the assessor’s office to investigate and deal with this. Is it too late? [more inside]
posted by Ollie at 1:14 PM - 5 answers

I hate that we have to think like this, but here we are… I’m leaving the United States for a week on vacation in Mexico. When I fly back, it’s easy enough for me to wipe my phone and restore from a backup, but my laptop, not so much. For the purposes of CBP I’m a white cis male citizen (by birth) with a extremely white name. Bring the laptop or leave it home?
posted by anonymous at 5:05 PM - 9 answers

I know this is crazy, but these are crazy times. Ok, so if Harvard loses access to all federal funding AND they lose their tax exempt status. What's in it for them to stay in the U.S.? I realize there are many things that would make this difficult to the point of being almost-surely-not-the-answer, but is it legally possible for Harvard as a legal entity to move it legal entity-ness to another country? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 4:19 PM - 18 answers

Has anyone here grown up in an autocracy? How do you think it affected you and other kids? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 7:17 AM - 5 answers

Do you know of anyone with expertise on cults who has written or spoken about the Trump cult?
posted by NotLost at 10:00 PM - 5 answers

Can you recommend a family lawyer in Maryland, ideally near Frederick or Hagerstown? This is for a family member. This doesn’t have to be a lawyer-to-the-stars, due to cost, as my family member is elderly and low-income. I’ve tried the elder law line, Legal Aid, and the university and struck out. Thank you.
posted by Ollie at 6:25 AM - 0 answers

I (a non-Catholic) just discovered the Catholic catechism's call for "truth, freedom, justice, and solidarity," and it's been interesting for me to examine my own political goals through the lens of those four nouns. What principles help focus your own civic involvement, and where did you find them? [more inside]
posted by kristi at 9:04 AM - 22 answers

I want to ask my local police department to train officers on interacting with autistic (especially PDA) children and adults. Which training program should I recommend? [more inside]
posted by splitpeasoup at 5:42 PM - 6 answers

Along with a couple other folks, I'm meeting with an elected representative. For those who have attended or been involved with such meetings, do you have any advice on how to make the most of the limited time? [more inside]
posted by skunk pig at 3:35 PM - 9 answers

This feels like a basic question, but something I've had a hard time getting a clear answer on (possibly because of how unprecedented the current situation is.) When will goods start to obviously be more expensive? It feels like right now, stores aren't raising prices because they're still able to sell things purchased pre-tariffs, but that is obviously going to change quickly. How quickly?
posted by LSK at 2:20 PM - 18 answers

I remember very clearly hearing a news story when I was a teenager about a surgeon who was branding his college initials into uteruses after performing hysterectomies. I've thought about this from time to time over the years but only just today thought to google it. I can't figure out what happened here. Can you? [more inside]
posted by phunniemee at 10:04 AM - 4 answers

Is it the party's leader in the House? Its leader in the Senate? The leader of the DNC? Some combination of all three? Or someone else altogether?I ask because I genuinely don't know how the structure works or which role takes the top spot. [more inside]
posted by Paul Slade at 9:01 AM - 12 answers

The governor of California, Gavin Newson, stated that he would seek out separate trade partnerships with other countries to avoid US tariffs. How would this work? Can states set up their own trade relationships with other countries that avoid tariffs set at the national level? Do other states plan to do something similar? [more inside]
posted by Toddles at 8:38 AM - 8 answers

My elderly aunt has recently split from her partner. Her long-term savings (retirement savings) was somehow under his control and he is not returning it now that they’ve split. Obviously she needs a lawyer, but she is reluctant to spend a lot of money as she is extremely freaked out about money now, for good reason. Do you know what the options are? What kind of lawyer, and how to find this person, and if there are low-cost options? This is Maryland. [more inside]
posted by Ollie at 5:40 PM - 10 answers

As a home buyer or seller, do I qualify for getting some of my money back? [more inside]
posted by Toddles at 7:27 AM - 1 answers

Is there anyone/any platform that is keeping a running tally of how Trump cuts are impacting states across sectors? [more inside]
posted by brookeb at 10:03 PM - 2 answers