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Immigration court proceedings are the method by which the U.S. government reviews whether someone is eligible to remain in the United States, or whether they must leave the country through an order of deportation or Voluntary Departure. Immigration court cases can last many years because of the case backlog in the courts.

Immigration court proceedings consist of two main types of hearings: Master Calendar Hearings, or preliminary hearings, and Individual Hearings, or merits hearings. Master Calendar Hearings are designed for the Judge to hear and rule on preliminary matters, like the charges of why the person is deportable and whether certain kinds of applications or evidence may be submitted. Master Calendar Hearings can include many different respondents, similar to traffic hearings, where each case is heard for just a few minutes while the Judge takes the next action on the case. Individual Hearings are designed for the Immigration Judge to hear the particulars of only one case at a time, to decide whether the person can receive a benefit that allows them to stay in the United States or whether they must leave the United States under Voluntary Departure or a deportation order.

Immigration court is a stressful, complicated, and lengthy process. Hiring an expert immigration attorney to represent you in your immigration court case can lend you peace of mind and clarity throughout the whole process. Even just scheduling a consultation with an expert in immigration court cases can help empower you with the information you need to make the best choices for your life and your family.

Sometimes ICE will detain or arrest people when they are in the United States without lawful immigration status. For a number of different reasons, those individuals may have to request that the Immigration Judge issue them a bond so that they can be released from immigration detention and fight the rest of their immigration case while living their life as normally as possible at home.

Being detained or having a loved one detained at an ICE Detention Center can be devastating and stressful. Detention can leave you feeling hopeless and scared. But having an expert attorney defending your rights can make the difference between having to complete your case on a fast track from the detention facility and being able to fight your case on the slower docket while living and working beside your family.

Respondents normally only get one opportunity to request a bond. If that request is denied, their only hope for an immigration bond in the future is to prove that the circumstances have changed. Unfortunately for many respondents, hiring an attorney is not enough of a changed circumstance to win your bond request the second time, so it’s critically important that your first bond request is the best one. Individuals and families hoping to secure an affordable bond order from the Immigration Judge are best suited to consult with an expert attorney so that the bond request has the best possible chance at success.

Cancellation of Removal is a benefit available to certain individuals in the immigration court process who have been in the United States for 10 years or longer, who do not have a serious criminal history, and who have U.S. Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident immediate relatives who truly need them to be in the United States to support them financially, medically, and/or emotionally.

Cancellation of Removal is a benefit that applicants can only request if they already have an active immigration court case, and it is usually very difficult to win. There are a limited number of Cancellation Visas available, so applicants may have to wait several years after their final hearing before receiving a decision. However, those individuals that do win a Cancellation application will end up with Lawful Permanent Resident status.

An experienced immigration attorney is often the best way to have a fighting chance at winning your Cancellation of Removal case.