Crimmigration

Crimmigration: The Impact Of Criminal Convictions On Immigration Status

We Consider How Your Arrest Will Affect Your Immigration Status

As an immigrant to the United States, a conviction or even an arrest can affect you very differently from a U.S. citizen, regardless of whether you are in the country legally or are undocumented. Your criminal lawyer may advise you to plead guilty so he or she can minimize your time in jail. If you or your loved one is an immigrant, however, even a “good” plea in criminal court can have devastating immigration consequences that your criminal lawyer may not understand. You need to discuss your case with an immigration lawyer before making any decisions that could affect your immigration status.

Do not risk losing everything you have built here. Contact Ozment Law, PLC to discuss ways to preserve your immigration relief options while you are still in criminal court and before you plead guilty to anything. Our attorneys have deep, well-informed criminal experience that we use to help immigrants who are accused of crimes in Nashville and throughout Tennessee. Our criminal lawyers work closely with our attorneys with broad experience in immigration and deportation defense issues to better serve all our clients’ needs.

We can help you and, if you are already represented in criminal court, your criminal law attorney to determine how a criminal conviction will affect your immigration status and look at your available options.

Because we have seen so many immigrants deported after they had pled guilty to crimes they did not commit, we decided in 2012 to offer criminal representation of immigrants in criminal court – before they are even put into immigration court. If you are already represented by a qualified criminal attorney, our law firm offers a “crimmigration” consultation to your criminal lawyer. Some of the best criminal attorneys in Nashville refer their immigrant clients to our office for our “crimmigration” consultation, so that we may assess the criminal case through the lens of immigration law.

Our Attorneys Offer Consultations For Cases Involving Immigration And Criminal Law: Crimmigration

The intersection of immigration and criminal law is often extremely complex and counterintuitive. For example, did you know that a conviction for a state-law misdemeanor may be considered, for immigration, an “aggravated felony?” Pleading guilty, even to a misdemeanor, may devastate an immigrant’s chances of remaining in the United States.

If you practice criminal law and have an immigrant client (regardless of his or her status in the country), call Ozment Law, PLC to discuss your client’s options. For an immigrant, even the most minor charge may end with your client having to appear before an immigration judge, risking deportation. Our firm has deep experience in helping immigrants in Nashville and all over Middle Tennessee who are accused of crimes preserve hope for immigration relief. Don’t let a successful resolution in your case turn into a disaster in immigration court. Let us help you find a solution to both concerns, either through an attorney referral or with a consultation.

Tricia Herzfeld, our senior counsel, is a talented, seasoned criminal attorney with detailed knowledge of the immigration consequences of pleas and convictions. To help attorneys comply with their constitutional obligations under Padilla v. Kentucky, 559 U.S. 356 (2010), and to ensure your client’s immigration interests are protected, Tricia offers a “crimmigration” consultation to help you understand how the criminal charges will affect your client’s ability to stay in the United States, regardless of whether he or she is here with or without documentation.

In conducting a “crimmigration” consultation, Tricia works intimately with our immigration deportation defense practitioners to propose an individualized plan in light of your client’s unique factual and legal situation. Tricia will review your client’s record, analyze his or her criminal history, immigration status and current circumstances. She will suggest options for you to present to the client and the district attorney’s office that may preserve immigration relief options for your client. An immigration-friendly criminal disposition can significantly reduce the chance of your client ending up in immigration court as a direct result of the criminal charges against him or her – one of the leading ways immigrants find themselves in immigration enforcement actions today.

Don’t Let An Arrest Lock You Out Of Your American Dream!

Call us at 615-321-8888 or send us an email to schedule a consultation with one of our Nashville crimmigration attorneys.