new to all this, suggestions?

[smpeet00]

My boyfriend of 2.5years was just detained a week ago for being here illegally, which was news to me. I was completely clueless as to how all the visa/immigration stuff worked and never really worried about it cuz I trusted him. Well, turns out I'm getting a crash course in immigration law now. We were initially thinking we could just get married now and then he could apply to be a citizen, but I'm finding through my research that that doesn't seem to be the case... He came here on a visitor's visa about 4 or 5 years ago from Mali (Africa), so it's been expired for a while. I'm going to meet with an immigration lawyer a friend of his knows (and I think used because this friend was from the same country and is now a citizen here) on Tuesday but wanted to kinda get a grasp on everything before meeting the lawyer. I've been reading up on voluntary departure and possible ways of getting him back here before 10 years (I212?).

Any suggestions? Would it help to keep him here/get him here sooner, if we were married soon either here or in Mali? What about engagement visa's for the future if he was deported? Would they have to wait 10 years or is there a way to get one sooner?

He's never been arrested for any other crimes.

I'm glad to have found this group and thank you all ahead of time for the support and for the information I have already acquired from reading past posts.

[Lachulagreeneyes]

Sorry I dont have any answer but just wanted to say Welcome and best of luck to you!

[smpeet00]

So, I was just reading more advice to others and it seems like one of the main things to do is file the I601 waiver, but what if we don't really have any high level arguments for filing this waiver?? We haven't been living together or supporting each other financially, I'm in school full time living on loans, neither of us have any illnesses or have family members we're caring for...

[VENZwife]

You mentioned he came over with a visitor's visa and overstayed, but never left the country? He may have options, without having to leave the country. However, I am unclear of your exact situation at the moment, which could change things.

You mentioned he was been detained. Is he still in custody, or was he released? How did they catch him? Has he ever been arrested before, or had any other trouble with the police? Did they give him a court date to appear before an immigration judge or did they give him a deportation notice?

[smpeet00]

He's in prison right now. The police just showed up at his house looking for one of the guys he lives with who is also illegal...somehow they found out about the housemate but I dont know his story. They put all three guys who lived their in prison together. They've all overstayed visas. He did leave the country once a few years ago. I think he said he used someone else's passport to get back in. He sees the judge for the first time today. No orders for deportation yet. There are some other guys here from his country that have green cards that are helping, they have a lawyer they've used for other guys before and they're telling me not to worry...hahaha yeah right. I'm not that kind of person that can just sit back, not worry about details and think they'll take care of everything, I need to know what's going on and what the possibilites are.
Thanks for your help!