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Author: Jameel Manji, Founder, Manji Law, P.C.
Mr. Manji founded Manji Law in 2016 to follow his passion of helping people navigate the complicated immigration system. Mr. Manji graduated from Georgia State University College of Law and received Master of Taxation from the Georgia State’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business. Published on: December 12, 2019, Last Updated on: December 26, 2019.
Manji Law is your complete immigration solution. If you are seeking assistance with the Atlanta Immigration Court, please give us a call. Manji Law can provide valuable insight, assistance, and a guiding hand to help you achieve your goals.
Criminal Immigration Lawyers
Being arrested for a criminal offense is already a difficult situation. For non-citizen immigrants, the risk of deportation makes the experience even more stressful. If you are an immigrant who has been arrested for a crime in the United States, the stakes are incredibly high, and it is crucial that you contact a criminal immigration attorney immediately.
Criminal Immigration Attorney
Over the past twenty years, criminal immigration law has become an essential practice area of immigration defense. It is the reaction to Congressional efforts to restrict due process and the chances for immigrants to obtain and maintain lawful permanent residency. A growing number of criminal convictions have been categorized as immigration law felonies, also known as “aggravated felonies,” which restrict immigrants from any relief from deportation, causing a merging of criminal defense and migration law.
When an American national faces criminal charges, the penalties can certainly be harsh. However, the consequences of an immigrant’s criminal charges now go far beyond the time in jail or prison. Rather, penalty brings the capacity for irreversible expulsion from the United States.
Immigration consequences of criminal convictions for an aggravated felony can even include deportation without a removal hearing, and ineligible to receive asylum. In addition, an immigrant can lose eligibility for a U.S. visa or green card. Depending on your individual circumstances, this can even occur if you are a permanent resident or have a valid immigrant visa.
Why Hire a Criminal Defense and Immigration Attorney?
Following an arrest, one of the biggest mistakes a non-citizen immigrant can make is to consult a criminal defense legal representative with minimal immigration law experience. A conviction for immigration is not like standard criminal convictions, and by choosing someone who does not comprehend this difference, you might be led into making a decision that permanently sets back your hard-earned path to citizenship. Lawyers who focus on criminal immigration law can identify whether a particular offense is a deportable one and help you make the right choice for your future.
Immigration and Criminal Lawyer
As your criminal immigration lawyers, we assist clients throughout all stages of the criminal defense process: first, throughout your criminal case, then at immigration court hearings and later in immigration appeals.
You should be aware that there are certain types of criminal offenses that make a non-citizen or immigrant inadmissible. For an immigrant, that means if you leave the U.S., you won’t be able to reenter this country under any circumstances. Inadmissibility also means that non-citizens can’t apply or receive permanent resident cards or green cards.
We will work to help you comprehend how your criminal charges may have immigration consequences and offer ideas and actions that you can take to minimize the possibility of deportation after your criminal case ends.
Immigration Felony and Misdemeanor Offenses
Under the United States Code Title 8 § 1227, there are a number of classes of crimes that can result in deportation or an inadmissible status for non-citizen immigrants. These include criminal activities of moral turpitude, such as fraud, burglary, theft, assault, prostitution, murder, or rape, in addition to felony criminal offenses that bring a minimum sentence of one year or more in jail.
Other criminal activities that can result in deportation or an inadmissible status consist of aggravated felonies, specific weapons offenses, domestic violence, and drug offenses, with the exception of possession of less than 30 grams of cannabis.
Felony Immigration Laws
Moral turpitude crimes are the broadest classification of criminal offenses that can result in ICE deportation or an inadmissible status. There is no particular definition for these criminal activities, indicating that courts are typically delegated to determine if a criminal offense makes up moral turpitude on their own. Criminal activities including dishonesty, fraud, or multiple DUI offenses are typically categorized under moral turpitude.
There are also blurred lines around “aggravated felonies”, a term used exclusively to define deportable felony and misdemeanor crimes committed by someone who is not an American citizen. These crimes may include:
How an Immigration and Criminal Attorney Can Help
Federal authorities have a great deal of freedom in deporting or making an immigrant inadmissible, even if not found guilty in court. Criminal immigration lawyers working routinely on federal matters and state and federal cases understand how essential it is to win your case if you wish to remain in the United States or have the leisure of returning if you were to leave. Even green card holders face the same federal immigration law guidelines concerning deportation and inadmissibility.
There are particular kinds of crimes that make a non-citizen or immigrant inadmissible, while others may make a non-citizen deportable. Generally speaking, “deportable” crimes are more major in nature, but they do consist of some criminal offenses likewise noted for inadmissibility status.
Immigration Criminal Attorney
Criminal offenses of moral turpitude can trigger somebody to be deported or inadmissible. Being “inadmissible” means that if you leave, you will not have the ability to reenter the U.S. Inadmissibility likewise suggests that a non-citizen can not apply for or obtain U.S. citizenship or a green card. In any case, the immigration consequences can be damaging to a non-citizen.
Even if a non-citizen was not found guilty of criminal activity of moral turpitude, they might end up being inadmissible by federal requirements. Confessing to a crime in any way might likewise make a non-citizen inadmissible if discovered by the federal immigration court. Criminal defense immigration lawyers understand that a non-citizen, even with a green card, does not need to be found guilty to end up being inadmissible.
Immigration Defense When Crimes Are Involved
Non-Americans in the U.S. must hire the best criminal attorney who is experienced with immigration issues in order to get the lowest possible sentence or get their case dismissed to prevent future repercussions of constantly changing immigration laws. Below are a few of the ways our law firm may be able to defend your path to citizenship and getting your green card, as your criminal defense lawyers.
Immigration Defense Attorney
If, as an immigrant, you have been found guilty of an aggravated felony or a criminal offense of moral turpitude and have not yet been physically deported, you might be qualified for post-conviction relief. A motion to vacate a conviction based upon inefficient support of counsel can be sought out by our criminal immigration lawyers.
A motion to vacate might also be an option if you were not counseled by a legal representative on the immigration consequences of pleading guilty. Additionally, our criminal lawyers can seek other kinds of post-conviction relief, such as minimizing a felony to a misdemeanor or resentencing so as not to suffer consequences to your immigration status.
Best Criminal Immigration Lawyers
If you are not a citizen of the United States and you have been charged with a criminal offense, it is essential that you discuss your scenario with our criminal immigration attorneys as quickly as possible.
Immigration Criminal Lawyer
At Manji Law, P.C., our Atlanta criminal immigration lawyers will work with you to prevent a possibility of you losing your green card and getting a devastating end to your time in the United States. With our law firm’s legal assistance, you can maintain a confident outlook on the circumstances. We will work tirelessly to help you win this, fight for your rights, and resist your criminal charges, so don’t hesitate to contact us today.
