Work Permits - USCIS provided guidance on employment authorization for applicants who have U nonimmigrant status applications (“U visa”) pending. USCIS will conduct an...
Can you fight a deportation order?
One of the most common questions we get here at Antonini & Cohen Immigration Law Group is whether it’s possible to fight a deportation order. While that’s a broad...
12 Things You Should Know If You are Placed in Deportation Proceedings
If you’re experiencing the threat of being deported from the United States, we understand how difficult the process can be. You may be scared or frustrated, and the...
What to do if ICE knocks on your door
In light of the recent ICE operations in the Atlanta area, Antonini & Cohen offer some helpful tips. If ICE comes to the door:
- DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR unless ICE has a valid warrant. Ask if they have a warrant and to slide the warrant under the door. The warrant must be signed by a judge. Do not run. Call your attorney if you have one. If the warrant is valid, open the door, exit and close the door behind you to protect the other house residents. Do not resist arrest.
DACA in the New Administration – A Glimmer of Hope
The unexpected election of Donald Trump shocked many Americans as well as those in the immigrant community. Those most vulnerable – unauthorized non-citizens who were brought to the U.S. as children – fear a rollback of President Obama’s DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program. While it is completely understandable to be anxious, pessimistic and worried about the new administration’s prospective moves on immigration, there is some basis for a degree of optimism.
Falsely Claiming USA Citizenship and How This Affects Immigration
There are many people who try to come to the United States every year for work and many who are already here, hoping to obtain full citizenship. Last year alone, 779,929 people were naturalized1 as US citizens. When working, citizens and non-citizens alike are required to fill out a Form I-9 to verify that they are legally able to work. What non-citizens may not realize, though, is that misrepresenting themselves on this form could cost them the ability to obtain status, permanent loss of status they may have, or the ability to become naturalized US citizens.
Post Deportation: What’s Next?
When an alien has a final order of removal, there is nothing preventing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from physically deporting that person back to their home country. For many families, the separation caused by physical deportation creates stress and emotional pain for everyone involved.
Stay of Deportation: Do I Have Any Options?
If an immigration judge ordered you removed, or granted you voluntary departure, which you overstayed, you may qualify to have your deportation “stayed” (i.e. suspended temporarily) via a Stay of Deportation (“stay”).
What is a stay?
A stay temporarily suspends or postpones deportation. In determining whether to grant a stay, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) will use its discretion. This means an ICE Officer will weigh the positive and negative factors you present in your stay application.
Immigration consequences of pleading under the first offender act
It is extremely important for foreign nationals in criminal proceedings to seek the advice of an immigration attorney. As illustrated below, in many instances a favorable plea in a criminal case can have disastrous immigration consequences.
Part 2: The immigration judge granted bond. What do I do now?
In Part 1 of our series, our Immigration Law Attorney Nicole Babcock explained the process for securing a bond when your loved one is detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Here, Nicole discusses what happens after an immigration judge grants bond:
Once a bond amount has been set, you can go to your local ICE office and pay the bond as long as you have legal immigration status.
My loved one just got detained – What do I do?
Part 1 – The Bond Process
If a loved one is detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the ICE officer responsible for the case will:
- Grant a bond for a certain amount – your friend or family member will be released upon payment of the bond amount;
- Grant release without requiring payment of a bond; or
- Deny bond altogether.
Video: Your Rights in Removal Proceedings
Carolina Antonini of the Atlanta, GA Immigration Law Firm of Antonini & Cohen discusses your rights during a removal proceeding
Video: Prosecutorial Discretion
Sarah Owings of the Atlanta, GA Immigration Law Firm of Antonini & Cohen discusses the availability of prosecutorial discretion during the deportation process
Video: Deportation Relief
Carolina Antonini of the Atlanta, GA Immigration Law Firm of Antonini & Cohen discusses forms of relief from deportation
Video: Removal Proceedings
Marshall Cohen of the Atlanta, GA Immigration Law Firm of Antonini & Cohen discusses removal proceedings