Last August, I met a man at 5:30 in the morning in Sunriver, Oregon. My family was still asleep. I was on vacation. He’d seen one of my YouTube videos and said he’d drive three hours to meet, just to talk. I agreed—as long as it didn’t interfere with my family time.
He showed up early, grateful, nervous. He explained that he had lived in the U.S. for over three decades. He wasn’t a tourist. He was a father, a grandfather. He went to school here. Worked here. Had a full support system. He also admitted two things: first, he had committed fraud with over a million dollars in losses. Second, despite living here for 30-plus years, he never became a U.S. citizen.
I asked if he understood the risk he was facing. He shrugged. I told him directly: if Trump is elected again, immigration enforcement will be aggressive. If you’re not a citizen, and you’re involved in a federal case, they will come for you. Detention is not a risk—it’s a guarantee. No bond. No second chance. If you’re undocumented or even just a permanent resident, and they have leverage—you’re done.
He told me I was being dramatic. He said, “Justin, I’ve been here my whole life. That can’t happen to me.”
He was wrong.
DOJ Priorities Are Clear—And Brutal
Just weeks after that meeting, the Department of Justice released its new memo outlining priorities for white-collar crime. I wrote about it three times. It’s not vague. They’re rewarding people who self-report. They’re scaling back prosecution of companies. And they’re cracking down on illegal immigration—especially when paired with federal crimes.
This man did nothing. No attorney. No self-reporting. No attempt to address immigration status. He thought the past thirty years would protect him.
They didn’t.
Detained. No Bond. No Way Out.
A few weeks ago, I got a call from his family. Early morning raid. Arrested on federal charges. Denied bond. Immigration detainer filed immediately. He’ll stay in custody through sentencing. After that, he’ll be turned over to ICE and deported.
There’s no second meeting. There’s no second vacation. There’s just a household full of regret—his, and his family’s.
The government is not guessing. They’re not debating intent. They’re enforcing their priorities exactly how they outlined them. This was avoidable. He had time. He had clarity. He had someone telling him what was coming and what to do.
He ignored it.
Your Story Doesn’t Matter If You Stay Silent
He told me about his family. His business. The support he had. None of that made a difference, because none of it was submitted. The government doesn’t grade on empathy. They look at paperwork. Timing. Action.
When people think they’re too established to be targeted, they tend to wait. They believe their record will speak for itself. It won’t. Not if you don’t say something. Not if you don’t take initiative before you’re forced to.
I’m not talking about a grand gesture. I’m talking about the basics: retain counsel. Document your contributions. Clarify your immigration status. Prepare a mitigation strategy. Stop assuming they’ll go easy because you’ve lived here long enough.
This man is no different from hundreds of others I’ve met. He didn’t act because he didn’t think it would happen to him. Now, every step moving forward is reactive. No leverage. No release. No discretion. His case is in the hands of people who care about policy and statistics—not stories.
Regret Is Loud When It’s Too Late
The family asked what they could do now. I told them the truth: not much. The bond was already denied. He’s marked for removal. The DOJ won’t change their approach because he’s scared now.
I asked if they still had the email I sent last summer. They did. It included everything I told him at that 5:30 a.m. meeting. A clear roadmap. No fluff. He read it. And chose to ignore it.
Now they want to know how they can reverse course. They can’t. They had a chance to act in August. They let it pass, and now that option’s off the table.
If you’ve been avoiding next steps—if you think waiting it out is safer—ask yourself this:
What would it take for you to believe this could happen to you?
Because it already is.
Justin Paperny
If you’re unsure what the government is prioritizing—or whether your silence is making things worse—join our Tuesday webinar at 11AM Pacific / 2PM Eastern. Learn what the DOJ cares about, and what you can still do before it’s too late.
