If you or a family member are ever involved detained in an immigration detention center, or just in general involved in the immigration process, it is definitely worth paying for the services of an experienced and respected immigration attorney.  Immigration laws and the process is complex and difficult to navigate for most that are caught up in it.  Below are the top reasons why involving an immigration attorney is beneficial:

• Immigration laws are complex. Not just in how they are written, but also how they are interpreted and enforced.  Having an attorney can take the guesswork out of the process and prevents mistakes and missteps.
• When an alien uses the services of an immigration attorney, they will be able to move through the process more easily and quickly as priority is given to cases that have attorneys associated with them.
• Attorneys can play the role of a valuable and important middleman between an alien in custody and a family, as the attorney has easier access to the facility.
• Attorneys act as an advocate for the alien and their family in a system where there is not a lot of access and support to be represented in a timely and effective manner.
• Attorneys can help facilitate the process of release through their relationships with the best and most professional immigration bondsmen.
• The immigration landscape in this country constantly shifting. Working with a professional attorney who is not only familiar with current events but also has their finger on the pulse of the immigration situation is invaluable.

These are just a few of the reasons why retaining an immigration attorney is beneficial to any alien or family currently involved in the immigration process.

What Immigration Bonds Look Like Under a Trump Administration

Ver en Español: Cómo se ven las fianzas de inmigración bajo la administración de Trump? 

To say that illegal immigration was one of the key topics of the 2024 election would easily be an understatement.

Get out of Jail Free: Cancellation of Removal

As the term cancellation of removal indicates, it is a get out of jail card for an eligible alien in removal proceedings who otherwise would have received an order of removal.

Address Changes and What it Means to an Immigrants “Venue” Status

We cannot overemphasize the importance of the fact that providing an immigration court with a change of address does not result in a change of venue.

8 C.F.R. 1003.20 (a) provides that [v]enue shall lie at the Immigration Court where jurisdiction vests pursuant to [8 C.F.R.] 1003.14.

Voluntary Departure

As is evident in the name, voluntary departure is form of relief in a removal proceeding

in which either ICE or an IJ grants an alien’s request to be allowed to depart the United States voluntarily, at his/her own expense, in lieu of having an order of removal.

Alien Self Deport

A self deport does not avoid the effects of any order issued by an immigration judge (e.g., a 10-year ban on being admitted to the United States). If the alien provides proof of their self deport (e.g., a notarized statement from an officer at a United States embassy or consulate), however, the surety will be able to obtain cancellation of the delivery bond.

Alien Individual Hearing

Another type of hearing that occurs in the immigration process is the Individual Hearing.

Assuming that the alien’s case is not resolved at a Master Calendar Hearing (e.g., because the alien admits the veracity of the charges in the Notice To Appear), the immigration court will schedule an Individual Hearing.

Master Calendar Hearing

As indicated in previous blogs, the first step in a removal proceeding is a Master Calendar Hearing.

This hearing is typically a short preliminary hearing and is usually recognized as the beginning step in the process of removal. This hearing and all other proceedings in the removal proceeding are scheduled by the immigration court, not Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE). Notices of all hearings will come directly from the immigration court; they will not come from ICE.