What should I do if I am charged with committing a crime?
If you are not a U.S. citizen, you should consult an experienced immigration lawyer when you are charged with a criminal offense, before you enter a plea to a pending criminal charge. Being found guilty of certain crimes may make you deportable or in admissible to the United States.
With certain criminal convictions, filing an application for your green card or naturalization could lead to your detention and placement in removal proceedings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Entering a plea of guilty to even a minor criminal charge could result in an ICE detainer and possible deportation.
By consulting with our immigration lawyers before you file an application or enter a plea, you may prevent your deportation. Our immigration lawyer swill advise you of any and all possible risks. We can also work with your criminal defense attorney to eliminate or minimize the adverse consequences of any pending criminal or traffic charge, or any guilty plea.
What should I do if I am a criminal defense lawyer and my client is not a U.S. citizen?
If you are a criminal defense lawyer representing a non-citizen, consult Valverde Law to minimize the negative immigration consequences of a criminal charge and plea agreement. This is especially important under the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Padilla v. Kentucky. If you represent a non-citizen, call Valverde Law to discuss the case with an immigration lawyer to provide the best possible representation for your client.
Help! My loved one is in jail and is not being released because there is an ICE Detainer!
An ICE detainer is a document that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sends to the local jail directing the jail to hold an individual for 48 hours, not including weekends and federal holidays, so that ICE can come and take custody of the person.
If your loved one is being held by a local jail under an ICE hold or detainer, you must act fast to protect their rights under the law. A non-citizen cannot be held indefinitely in a local jail under an ICE detainer. Our immigration lawyers have a specialized understanding of ICE detainers and available ways to secure a release.
What can I do if my loved one has been transferred to an immigration detention facility?
After ICE takes custody of the person and does not grant the individual bond, it will transfer the person to an immigration detention facility, often located several hundred miles away. You should consult our immigration lawyers at Valverde Law to schedule a bond hearing before an immigration judge.
During a bond hearing, the immigration judge will evaluate whether the person is a flight risk or presents a danger to persons or property. If the immigration judge grants bond, the bond can be paid at an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office to secure your loved one's release.
What should I do if I have received a Notice to Appear?
A Notice to Appear is an immigration charging document that initiates deportation proceedings and presents the factual allegations and immigration violations the government is presenting against you.
You may have broken the law by simply staying past the visa limit, or applied for your green card or citizenship only to discover that a mistake from your past has come back to haunt you. In other cases, you may have been arrested or sentenced to jail for a criminal offense. All of these scenarios can lead to you receiving a Notice to Appear.
A Notice is Appear is very serious. It may result in leaving your family and friends behind, as well as your job and your American life. If you have received a Notice to Appear, or are under arrest for a criminal or traffic violation, please contact us as soon as possible. A qualified immigration lawyer will meet with you to discuss your case and find a way to fight the deportation.
How can I fight deportation?
You should work with an experienced immigration lawyer. A qualified immigration lawyer can work with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to secure a release on bond so that you can continue to work. An immigration lawyer will investigate the deportation and removal charges to see if there are any possible grounds for dismissal. In immigration court, a qualified immigration lawyer will identify any potential grounds for relief from removal, including requesting asylum, cancellation of removal, adjustment of status and waivers.
