Advising Criminal Defense Attorneys
Were you charged with a crime but told by your attorney if you pled “no contest” or guilty, you would avoid jail time but di not know the crime could get you deported?
Is a crime you committed years ago stopping you from obtaining a green card?
Are you currently being charged with a crime but need an attorney to explain the immigration consequences to your criminal attorney before you agree to a plea?
A criminal history, however small, can ruin your chances for a green card or worse, land you in deportation proceedings, or permanently bar you from entering the U.S. Expungements and often, rehabilitative relief (special statutes under the state that erase your conviction or plea years later for good behavior), do not make your immigration implications go away; such crimes can still land you in deportation proceedings or keep you stuck outside of the U.S.
The immigration implications of pleas, convictions, and admissions vary depending on federal law, where you reside and how that Circuit has interpreted the meaning and scope of the state statute for purposes of Federal immigration law under which you are convicted, the length of time you may have served in jail, and your criminal attorney’s and the criminal judge’s behavior through the case.
The consequences of a conviction, admission, or plea will vary depending on your immigration status as well at the time of the commission of the crime or the conviction date. This is complicated stuff. Let us help you.
At SGG, we regularly work with private criminal defense attorneys and public defenders in advising them on the immigration consequences of certain pleas that lead to potentially devastating immigration implications and can provide alternative pleas or even other criminal statutes if you have to plea to something that do not have dire immigration consequences. We also work with criminal attorneys who specialize in post-conviction relief and advise on whether certain action to vacate a conviction, amend charges, or eliminate an arrest or conviction through alternative means will have a positive impact on the client’s immigration case.
Explore these pages depending on what stage your criminal case is in currently:
Post-Conviction Relief (Already convicted)
Pre-plea Negotiations (Charged or arrested, but not convicted yet)