Blog Posts - Immigration-related criminal defense
Criminal Record is Holding Back My Green Card
Find out how a criminal record impacts your green card and the steps our Tennessee immigration attorney can take to protect you. Having lawful permanent resident status, otherwise known as having a “green card,” authorizes a noncitizen to live and work legally in the United States. Obtaining a green card...
Read MoreCriminal convictions and how they impact your immigration status
As long and as involved of a process as it might have been to get a visa or permanent residency permit issued to you, you probably don’t want to do anything that would put that hard work to waste. If you commit either a misdemeanor of felony in the United...
Read MoreHow moral turpitude is defined and how it can get you deported
Up until the time you are granted United States citizenship, your ability to lawfully remain living in the country is not guaranteed. Instead, you’re always just a few steps from being sent back to where you came from. Perhaps one of the more surefire ways of getting yourself deported is...
Read MoreWhat every immigrant needs to know about crime and deportation
Essentially, there’s one thing every immigrant without citizenship in this country needs to know: Almost any criminal act — no matter how trivial — could make you a target for removal by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The list of deportable crimes keeps changing as the political rhetoric about immigrants...
Read MoreElliott Ozment testifies for Civil Rights Commission, calls for changes to Tennessee’s ‘civil forfeiture’ laws
On Monday, July 24, Ozment Law, PLC founder and managing attorney Elliott Ozment gave testimony to the Tennessee representatives of the United States Civil Rights Commission concerning Tennessee’s use of “civil asset forfeiture,” a little-known program that allows police and law enforcement to take a person’s property or cash —...
Read More'The Face of Hate'
Take a good look at this woman’s picture. She appears harmless enough. Now age 69, she has served 8 years in the Tennessee House of Representatives and has served in the Tennessee State Senate since 2002. She received a bachelor’s degree from Trevecca Nazarene University and attends a Nazarene church,...
Read MoreDo I have to leave the country after being convicted of a crime?
Several months ago, our Nashville immigration law firm was featured in the media. Specifically, we offered our opinion regarding the Trump administration’s recent executive orders on immigration, including the travel ban and suspension of the refugee program. Our advice was to not expect a speedy resolution. As readers may know, federal...
Read MoreCould a speeding ticket escalate into a deportation proceeding?
Although no one likes to get a speeding ticket and pay a fine, drivers who are uncertain about their immigration status may face a much more serious consequence: deportation. According to records from the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, discretionary arrests of immigrants who do not have a driver’s license may...
Read MoreForeigners and their rights
Many immigrants in Nashville are unsure of their civil rights. They may think they do not have any because they are not citizens of the United States, and they do not realize they do not have to suffer the many forms of mistreatment and harassment they often receive. Many of the...
Read MoreDon’t ignore domestic violence on the basis of immigration fears
Victims of domestic violence often face significant emotional and practical hurdles to seeking appropriate help. For immigrants, there may even be additional obstacles. A local Knoxville YWCA is doing its part to offer concrete assistance and resources to victims of domestic violence. Made possible by a grant from the Trinity...
Read MoreHigh Court to Review Deportation After Ineffective Plea Counsel
Is it just to deport a long-term, legal resident over a relatively minor drug offense? The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals isn’t sure. That court, along with courts in the Second, Fourth and Fifth Circuits, was sure that deportation was required upon conviction for a drug felony, even if your...
Read MoreMinor needed an immigration-related criminal defense attorney
The jurisdictional overlap between employment, family, and immigration law is not always clear, as a recent story illustrates. Specifically, a federal judge recently admonished federal immigration officials for their handling of a minor’s case. U.S. Border Patrol agents first detained the boy in Texas in December 2013. At that time,...
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