If you or a family member of yours are encountering possible removal from the United States, you will most definitely want to hire a deportation defense lawyer. Although you might feel that if the judge is told a compassionate story they will allow you or your family member to stay in the United States, this is not enough to guarantee that you or your loved one will not be deported. Also, some may feel that no matter what they do, there is no life for them in the United States so why would they hire a deportation defense lawyer. There are many reasons why hiring a deportation defense lawyer is not going to be a waste of time.
What to Expect During Court When Faced with Possible Deportation
Whether you or your loved one is fighting being deported from illegally being in the United States, or being convicted of a crime after receiving a green card, it will be a much less formal court hearing than others. For example, there will be no jury present during the court proceedings, everyone involved in the court proceedings will have an understanding that the immigrant on trial may not be aware of American legal procedures, and the immigration judge is not allowed to be automatically drawn to the attorney for the Department of Homeland Security. The judge will hear both the Department of Homeland Security’s side and the immigrant’s side before making his or her decision. However, the judge will not try to help you with your case or spend the time getting to know why you or your loved one should stay in the United States other than the information presented during the court proceedings.
Although it will not happen at the initial hearing, if your only excuse to be allowed to stay in the United States is because you work very hard for your family to have a life in this country, you or your family member may end up being deported. The judge will most likely advise you to get yourself a defense attorney that specializes in deportation cases.
What a Deportation Defense Attorney Can Do For You
The defense attorney that you hire will spend time looking into what the Department of Homeland Security is charging you with and if it is indeed a correct charge. They will also evaluate if your life in the United States is worth defending, since there are plenty of immigration laws that are complicated. During your hearing, your deportation defense attorney could fight that the charge made against you or your family member is false, show citizenship due to a parent or guardian that is a United States citizen, recommend that you or your loved one is qualified for a green card because you are a close family member to a U.S. citizen, or for a cancellation of removal which is when you have close ties in this country and have good upstanding morals in which you can receive your green card.
Since you only have one chance to get a pass at staying in the United States, you do not want to mess it up. You can appeal their decision, but they will not give you another hearing. Unfortunately, immigrants do not have the right to get a free court appointed attorney in the United States, so hiring a lawyer that specializes in deportation will be your best bet. They will help present your arguments in a way that is with your best interest in mind.