I'm a UNT or TWU international student. What happens to my F-1 status if I have an incident with law enforcement?

Your F-1 student status and the underlying SEVIS record (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) can be affected by certain law enforcement encounters, and the consequences depend on the nature of the incident. Arrest and criminal charges: F-1 students can lose their status and have their SEVIS record terminated if they are convicted of or plead guilty to a crime involving moral turpitude, a drug offense, or certain other offenses under immigration law. Importantly, the immigration consequences are tied to the criminal outcome — a conviction or guilty plea — not just the arrest. This is why it is critical that any F-1 student arrested in Denton County consult with both a criminal defense attorney and an immigration attorney before accepting any plea deal. Grades, enrollment, and authorized work: Maintaining full-time enrollment (during regular academic semesters), staying within authorized work limits (generally 20 hours per week on-campus while classes are in session, or within approved OPT/CPT authorization), and reporting address changes to the DSO (Designated School Official) within 10 days are all required to maintain F-1 status. DSO reporting and SEVIS: Your Designated School Official at UNT or TWU has authority to terminate your SEVIS record for violations of F-1 status rules. A SEVIS termination removes your lawful status and authorizes ICE to detain and remove you. If you receive notice that your SEVIS record has been terminated or that your status is in question, contact an immigration attorney immediately — there are often reinstatement options or administrative remedies that must be pursued promptly. For the most serious criminal charges — particularly drug trafficking, sex offenses, or crimes of moral turpitude — the immigration consequences can include mandatory removal grounds that remove any discretion from an immigration judge. Getting immigration advice before any criminal plea is not optional in these situations.

I live in Denton County and have a pending employment-based green card. My employer was just acquired. What happens to my sponsorship?

Corporate acquisitions, mergers, and restructurings are a regular occurrence in the DFW Metroplex, and they create significant uncertainty for employees with pending employment-based green card petitions. The impact depends on what stage your case is in and how the acquisition is structured. If your PERM (labor certification) is pending with the Department of Labor and the acquiring company is a "successor in interest" to your employer — meaning it took over substantially all of the same business, in the same location, performing the same work — the pending PERM can often continue under the new employer's identity without starting over. The new employer must be willing to continue the sponsorship and must stand ready to employ you at the job described in the PERM. If your I-140 immigrant visa petition has already been filed and approved: Under the AC21 provision (American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act), if your I-140 has been approved and a new I-485 adjustment of status application cannot be filed yet (because your priority date is not current), the approved I-140 may "port" to a new employer after 180 days in certain circumstances — allowing you to change employers while preserving your priority date. Additionally, if your I-140 has been pending or approved for 365 days or more, you may be eligible for H-1B extensions beyond the six-year cap under §104(c) of AC21, even while the adjustment case is pending. If you are in adjustment of status (I-485 pending): After the I-485 has been pending for 180 days, you may change to a same or similar occupational classification without affecting the adjustment case under AC21 portability. Not all situations are this straightforward — the specific corporate structure of the acquisition, whether the new employer will continue sponsorship, and your specific case stage all affect the analysis. Consult an immigration attorney specializing in employment-based immigration immediately upon learning of the acquisition.

I'm undocumented and living in Denton County. What rights do I have if stopped by police?

Regardless of immigration status, you have constitutional rights in any encounter with U.S. law enforcement. These rights apply to everyone physically present in the United States — not just citizens or lawful residents. Your Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches and seizures applies: police cannot detain you without reasonable suspicion that you've committed a crime, and they cannot search your car or belongings without consent, a warrant, or specific legal exceptions. You have the right to refuse consent to a search — and the refusal cannot, by itself, be the basis for detention. Your Fifth Amendment right to remain silent applies: you are not required to answer questions about your immigration status, where you were born, or how you entered the country. Politely stating "I am exercising my right to remain silent" is a lawful response. Do not provide false documents or information, as that creates separate criminal exposure. Your Sixth Amendment right to an attorney applies if you are arrested for a crime: request an attorney before answering any substantive questions. For immigration-specific proceedings (not criminal arrest), you have the right to retain an immigration attorney at your own expense — there is no government-appointed counsel in immigration court. If you are stopped while driving, you are required to provide a driver's license, registration, and proof of insurance. Texas does not issue standard driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants (unlike some states), but Texas does offer DPS-issued "ID only" cards. Not having a driver's license can result in a traffic citation or in some circumstances an arrest for driving without a license — which can in turn lead to ICE notification depending on the arresting agency's policies. Contact Legal Aid of Northwest Texas (888-529-5277) or a Denton County immigration attorney for specific guidance. Denton County Sheriff's Office policy regarding ICE cooperation should be verified with current information, as it can change.

What is the Dallas Immigration Court and how does it handle Denton County cases?

The Dallas Immigration Court (Executive Office for Immigration Review; Earle Cabell Federal Building, 1100 Commerce St., Suite 1060, Dallas TX 75242; 214-767-1919) is the federal immigration court with jurisdiction over Denton County residents. It is one of the busiest immigration courts in the United States by case volume, handling removal proceedings for Dallas, Denton, Tarrant, and surrounding counties. Removal proceedings begin with a Notice to Appear (NTA) — a charging document issued by ICE or CBP — that initiates the court process. At the initial master calendar hearing, the respondent enters pleas to the factual allegations and legal charges in the NTA. If removal is contested, the case is set for individual hearing at which defenses and forms of relief (asylum, withholding, cancellation of removal, adjustment of status, etc.) are presented. Each of these hearings can be months or years apart given the court's backlog. There is no government-appointed counsel in immigration court — unlike in criminal court. Respondents must retain private counsel at their own expense or appear unrepresented (pro se). Legal Aid of Northwest Texas (888-529-5277), RAICES Texas (raicestexas.org), and Catholic Charities provide limited free or reduced-cost representation for qualifying individuals, but demand far exceeds available capacity. For detained Denton County residents, hearings may be conducted via video from the detention facility (Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, TX, or Bridgeport Detention Center) or in person at the Dallas court. Non-detained cases proceed on slower dockets, which can extend timelines but also provide more time to retain counsel and prepare defenses. Appeals from Dallas Immigration Court decisions go to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) in Falls Church, Virginia, and from the BIA to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

What free or low-cost immigration legal help is available for Denton County residents?

Denton County residents seeking immigration legal assistance have several options, though demand significantly exceeds capacity in all programs: Legal Aid of Northwest Texas (LANWT; 888-529-5277; lanwt.org; 1515 Main St., Dallas TX 75201): The primary civil legal aid provider for North Texas, LANWT handles immigration matters including asylum, U visa, T visa, VAWA, and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) for income-qualifying clients. Free for those who meet income guidelines. The Denton County office serves county residents directly. Catholic Charities Diocese of Fort Worth (817-534-0814; ccdofw.org): Serves the western portion of Denton County (Flower Mound, Highland Village, Argyle, and surrounding areas) with immigration legal services on a sliding-fee scale. Handles family-based petitions, DACA renewals, adjustment of status, and naturalization. Catholic Charities Diocese of Dallas (214-520-6590; ccdallas.org): Serves the eastern portion of Denton County (Lewisville, Carrollton, The Colony, Frisco portions). Provides similar sliding-scale immigration legal services. UNT and TWU International Student Services Offices: Provide guidance on maintaining F-1 status and refer to immigration attorneys for matters beyond routine status maintenance. Cannot provide legal representation but are the first point of contact for international students with immigration questions. RAICES Texas (raicestexas.org): Serves asylum seekers, detained individuals, and immigrant families across Texas. For employment-based immigration matters (H-1B, PERM, I-140, adjustment): most assistance comes from private immigration attorneys, typically retained and paid for by the sponsoring employer. The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA; ailalawyer.com) maintains a directory by city.

Immigration Law in Denton County, Texas

Denton County's immigrant population reflects the county's dual character as a university community and a rapidly growing suburban county in the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex. The University of North Texas (UNT) hosts thousands of international students on F-1 student visas and some of the largest enrollment of students from India, China, South Korea, and Latin America of any university in Texas. Texas Woman's University (TWU) similarly has a significant international student body. These university communities are accompanied by J-1 exchange visitors, optional practical training (OPT) participants, and faculty and researchers on H-1B and O-1 visas. The county's residential communities — particularly in Lewisville, Carrollton (partly in Denton County), Flower Mound, and The Colony — include large immigrant populations from Mexico, Central America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, including both documented residents and an undocumented community working primarily in construction, landscaping, domestic services, food service, and hospitality.

Employment-based immigration in Denton County largely follows the patterns of the broader DFW Metroplex, where H-1B specialty occupation visas are the primary pathway for professionals employed at the county's tech-sector employers, healthcare organizations, and the universities themselves. UNT and TWU sponsor faculty and researchers for H-1B visas and for permanent residence through the national-interest waiver (NIW) or labor certification (PERM) routes. The county's proximity to the Plano/Frisco corporate corridor means that many Denton County residents are sponsored by employers in neighboring counties while commuting from Denton. H-1B portability and the AC21 provision protecting priority dates when an I-140 petition has been approved or pending for 180 days or more are important considerations for Denton County residents navigating long employment-based green card waits, particularly those born in India or China facing severe per-country backlogs in the EB-2 and EB-3 categories.

Removal proceedings for Denton County residents are handled by the Dallas Immigration Court (Earle Cabell Federal Building, 1100 Commerce St., Suite 1060, Dallas TX 75242; 214-767-1919), which has jurisdiction over the DFW metro area including Denton County. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Dallas Field Office (125 E. John Carpenter Freeway, Irving TX 75062; 214-905-9090) has jurisdiction over immigration enforcement in Denton County. Denton County residents who are detained in immigration enforcement operations are typically held at facilities in the North Texas area — most commonly Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, TX, or the Jack Price Detention Center in Bridgeport, TX (which is in Wise County, adjacent to Denton County). These facilities are closer to Denton County than the other ICE detention centers, but family members attempting to contact detained individuals should confirm the detention location through the ICE detainee locator at locator.ice.gov.

DACA recipients represent a significant part of Denton County's immigrant community, with many recipients and their families living in Lewisville, Carrollton, and The Colony — areas with historically large Latino populations. As of mid-2026, DACA renewal applications continue to be processed, but the program faces continued legal challenges in the Fifth Circuit and the Supreme Court, with Texas as a lead plaintiff in the litigation challenging the program's legality. DACA recipients in Denton County should file renewal applications 150 or more days before their current status expires; consult with an immigration attorney about the litigation developments and alternative pathways to legal status; and be aware that the prohibition on new initial DACA applications means that younger siblings or family members who were not already DACA recipients cannot newly apply under the current court orders. Community organizations including local chapters of LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) and MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) provide information and advocacy for DACA recipients in North Texas.

Immigrant crime victims in Denton County have access to immigration protections that operate independently of immigration enforcement. The U visa (for victims of qualifying crimes who cooperate with law enforcement or prosecution), T visa (for human trafficking victims), and VAWA self-petitions (for victims of domestic violence by a U.S. citizen or LPR spouse, parent, or child) are available regardless of immigration status. Denton County law enforcement agencies — including the Denton County Sheriff's Office and the various city police departments — can provide U visa certifications (Form I-918B) for cooperating crime victims. Legal Aid of Northwest Texas (888-529-5277; lanwt.org) assists income-qualifying clients with U visa, T visa, VAWA, and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) applications. Catholic Charities Diocese of Fort Worth (817-534-0814) also provides immigration legal services to Denton County residents in the western portion of the county. The Denton County Friends of the Family (940-382-7273) assists domestic violence survivors, including immigrants, with safety planning, legal advocacy, and referrals to immigration legal services.

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