racismdaily.com

Can an undocumented immigrant have his license/passport seized during a child custody hearing? My friend (Brazilian, undocumented, in the country for 10+ years, tax payer) has been involved in a nasty custody battle with his ex-wife (also an undocumented Brazilian) over their 4 year old daughter. In 2010 he won partial legal custody, while the mother had full physical custody, however earlier this year the mother started leaving the house with the daughter on the day my friend was suppose to visit with her. This happened week after week until he finally called the police and hired a lawyer. The original court date was set for February 2013, but my friend and his lawyer petitioned for an emergency hearing this October (last weekend) to try and gain my friend some visiting time with his child. However, upon entering court my friend's ex-wife testified that my friend had used a different name upon entering the country and after he denied the claims she produced a document (lease) proving it. The judge ended up seizing my friend's drivers license, which is a Maryland drivers license (there use to be a loop hole where undocumented immigrants could take driving classes and get licenses in some states such as Maryland and Washington) because he has been living and working in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (because he does not have a social security number he can not have the license transferred). The judge also seized my friend's Brazilian passport, his ex-wife's passport and the child's passport. The judge also put my friend in hand cuffs, in front of his four year old child, and put him into a holding cell for 15 minutes or so. The judge did not even listen to the case, my friend's lawyer said he had never seen anything like it in family court before and that the judge was crazy. I asked my friend's lawyer about the possibility of filing a complaint against the judge, which the lawyer said he would help with but would not sign his name to, but my friend is worried it wil