Massachusetts Immigration Lawyer Blog

Boston Immigration Court News

This week, I had a detained deportation trial in Boston Immigration Court. My client, a permanent resident who had lived in the United States for over twenty years, was facing deportation to Pakistan, a country where he knew no one and didn't speak the language. He entered Boston Immigration Court in chains and an orange jumpsuit and walked out of court knowing that he would soon be a free man and a could continue his life in the U.S. with this green card.

Allow me to explain how I won the case:

The Department of Homeland Security had arrested my client and detained him at the Plymouth County House of Correction in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Interestingly, my client was arrested in Connecticut but because Hartford Immigration Court has not detained docket, he was transferred to a facility in Massachusetts so that his deportation trial could be placed on the docket of Boston Immigration Court. In Boston, Immigration Judge Steven Day exclusively handles the detained docket for all deportation cases in all of New England (Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).

My client was facing the prospect of being deported because of a criminal case that had concluded many years before. Initially, Immigration and Customs Enforcement charged my client with having a criminal conviction that was classified as "aggravated felony." But, after I reviewed the record of conviction (especially the plea colloquy), I realized that, in fact, he had pled guilty to a divisible statue. This means that he was convicted of a statute that included several different offense, some of the included offenses were aggravated felonies, while others were not.

Based on this research, I successfully challenged Immigration and Custom's Enforcements' allegation that my client had an aggravated felony conviction. This was a crucial victory because even though my client was still deportable, by eliminating the aggravated felony conviction, my client became eligible for relief in the form of cancellation of removal for certain lawful permanent residents.

Cancellation of removal is essentially a way of asking the Immigration Judge for a second chance. The standard is a balancing of the equities where the Immigration Judge weighs a range of factors including the severity of the applicant's criminal offense, the recency of the criminal record, the hardship imposed by a possible deportation, as well as any other positive or negative equities.

In support of my client's application for cancellation of removal, I prepared a detailed affidavit of his proposed testimony in Immigration Court. This gave my client an opportunity to tell his life story. Most importantly, he explained why he was unlikely to have problems with the law in the future. And, at the end of the deportation hearing, Boston Immigration Judge Steven Day granted the application for cancellation of removal, a hard won victory for my client.

If you or someone you know is facing deportation and needs and aggressive and effective attorney for representation in Boston Immigration Court, please call me. I'd be happy to review your case and help out outline a winning deportation defense strategy.

Boston Immigration Court News

Boston Immigration Court has announced the appointment of a new Immigration Judge. Steven Day, a retired Marine and former appellate attorney with the Office of Immigration Litigation, will be filling the vacancy created when Immigration Judge Francis Cramer retired. As with custom, Immigration Judge Steven Day will complete in-house training program at for immigration judges and then serve temporarily at Immigration Court in Newark, New Jersey. Immigration Judge Steven Day is expected to begin hearing deportation cases in Boston starting in April.

In another big personnel change, Immigration Judge Eliza Klein will be leaving Boston Immigration Court and has accepted a transfer to the Chicago Immigration Court. This is a transfer she had requested. She will arrive in that Immigration Court during July. So, with Judge Klein's departure, it remains to be seen who will fill this vacancy on the bench in Boston Immigration Court.

Green Card Lawyer Boston

At a meeting in my immigration law office in Boston, a potential client recently asked me this question:

I'm interested in hiring an immigration lawyer to prepare my green card case. But is it risky to use an immigration lawyer? I'm concerned that if USCIS sees that I have an immigration lawyer, the immigration officer might get suspicious. By using an immigration lawyer, perhaps the officer will presume that my case has some problem or issue.

The notion that an immigration officer will suspect that your case has some problem simply because you have hired an immigration lawyer is utter nonsense--a complete myth. Everyone has the legal right to be represented by an immigration lawyer of their own choosing. In my experience, using an immigration lawyer never generates suspicion that your case has a problem.

Anyone can fill in your name and address on an immigration form. But only an experienced, effective immigration attorney can spot issues before they crop up. If you decide to prepare your immigration case on your own, without an immigration lawyer, you do so at your own peril. You may think that you don't need an immigration lawyer because you assume that your case is easy. But without an immigration lawyer, you can't be sure that you've seen all the relevant issues. You might need a complicated immigration waiver and not even know it!

So, you now know that if you need help with an immigration issue, you can feel free to hire me or consult with me without fear of reprisal!

Boston Deportation Lawyer

Immigration lawyers in Boston like me might be in the office but snow is closing Immigration. Specifically, USCIS Boston District Offices and the USCIS Offices in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Bedford, New Hampshire and Johnston (Providence), Rhode Island and Portland, Maine have canceled interviews and InfoPass appointments for tomorrow (February 2, 2011) due to snow and bad weather

Boston Immigration Court will close at 4:00 PM today, February 1, 2011 and will also close on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 for the entire day. Please don't call the Immigration Court in Boston immediately to check on your rescheduled hearing. Give the clerks time to work with their Immigration Judges in Boston to reschedule your immigration case before you call for a new court date. Boston Immigration Court will re-open on February 3, 2011 at 8:00 AM.

Stay tuned for any updates on immigration closings . . . and, of course, stay warm and safe.

Boston Deportation Defense Lawyer News

Immigration lawyers in Boston have received notice that, because of anticipated snow emergency, Boston Immigration Court will delay opening the court until 10:00AM on January 27, 2011. Anyone who has a hearing in Immigration Court should report at that time to determine the status of their immigration case.

If the snow worsens and Boston Immigration Court decides to close, I'll be sure to update this blog. Meanwhile, you can call the Boston Immigration Court weather line at 617-565-3080, x299.

Boston Deportation Defense Lawyer News

Boston Immigration Court, USCIS Boston District Office and other immigration agencies in and around Massachusetts, which are listed below, have announced closures tomorrow, January 12, 2011. Any scheduled appointments/appearances are canceled. Also, USCIS immigration office closures include the ASC fingerprint appointments as well.

• Boston Immigration Court /EOIR Boston;
• USCIS Boston District Office;
• USCIS Lawrence, Massachusetts;
• USCIS Manchester, New Hampshire;
• USCIS Providence, Rhode Island; and
• USCIS Portland, Maine.

Also, the JFK Library Naturalization / Citizenship Ceremony at 12 noon tomorrow is canceled and will be rescheduled. If you need immigration help, or have questions about an immigration issue, please call me in my Boston office at 617-722-0005.

The Immigration Court in Boston will be closed on Monday (December 27, 2010) due to the snow emergency in Boston. Also, my immigration law office in Boston will be closed on Monday and Tuesday.

I'll send over more information on closings as soon as I receive them.  Meanwhile, stay warm and stay off the roads.

As a Boston-based immigration lawyer specializing in deportation defense, I'm well aware of the Boston Globe reported today here. The docket in Boston Immigration Court is overwhelmed with deportation cases.

So, based on this article, if you are in deportation proceedings, how long can you expect to wait before Boston Immigration Court processes your immigration case?  The answer depends on a number of factors.  People with no relief from removal or deportation tend to have their cases processed more quickly.  The long delays mostly impact people who have application for relief such as cancellation of removal, adjustment of status, or asylum.

To give you an example how these delays play out, in December of 2009, I appeared before an Immigration Court in Boston for a master calendar hearing. I turned in pleadings indicating that I was seeking relief from deportation in the form of cancellation of removal with an I-601 waiver for misrepresentation.  An Immigration Judge would likely need  three and a half hours for to conduct a full merits hearing.  The Immigration Judge scheduled another master calendar hearing in December of 2010, where I'm expected to appear and turn in my application for relief.  The Immigration Judge will then schedule an individual hearing, which is a trial date.  I expect that this hearing will be in mid-2012.

So for my client, the entire process of seeking relief from deportation in Boston Immigration Court will take more than 3 years.  This delay is more than a minor inconvenience. During this time, he is unable to travel outside the United States to see his ailing mother.

One ray of hope is that a new Immigration Judge will replace Boston Immigration Judge Cramer, who retired last summer.

Boston Deportation Defense Lawyer

As an immigration lawyer in Boston, I'm often asked if I know the phone number for Immigration in Boston, Massachusetts? If you have a pending green card application or citizenship cases and you live in the Boston, Massachusetts-area, surely U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has a local phone number that you could call to inquire as to the status of your immigration case, right?

But the answer is that no such number exists. USCIS has an 800 national number National Customer Service Center (NCSC) 1-800-375-5283. But I discourage my clients from calling this number because I've never been able to use it to resolve any problems or gain any useful information.

The best way to communicate with USCIS Boston District Office about a pending green card or citizenship application may be to make an INFOPASS appointment. Go in person to this appointment and you can ask questions about your immigration case. The officers and staff at USCIS Boston District Office can be miracle workers.

Not everyone should go in person to USCIS Boston District Office. If you are undocumented, out of status, or if you have a final order of deportation or removal, or if you have certain criminal convictions, then you are potentially deportable and could be subject to arrest by immigration authorities. So you should consult with an immigration lawyer before deciding to go in person to USCIS Boston immigration office.

Aside from USCIS INFOPASS, if you have a deportation case in Boston Immigration Court, you can call them at 617-565-3080. Or if you have a question about someone who has been arrested and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE in Burlington, Massachusetts, you can call ICE's  office at (781) 359-7500.

To summarize, USCIS Boston District Office has no phone number that the public can use to follow up on their immigration case. Instead, consider making an INFOPASS appointment. For deportation cases, call Boston Immigration Court or ICE in Burlington, MA.

If you need more help with your immigration case or for advice or guidance, please call or email me to set up a time to meet to discuss your situation.

Deportation Defense Boston Massachusetts

I will be hosting an upcoming brown bag lunch for immigration attorneys who are members of the New England Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). The topic will be deportation defense and Immigration Court practice. Before hosting this brown bag lunch, AILA lawyers will take a tour of Boston's Immigration Court with EOIR Court Administrator Robert Halpin. At the lunch, bring your questions about cases in Immigration Court.

I'll also be offering general tips on motions to reopen and advice on how to make sure that your cases conform with the new Immigration Court Practice Manual. Other topics will include cancellation of removal and I-601 immigration waivers.

If you have questions about deportation defense or how to handle a case in Boston Immigration Court, feel free to call me.

Deportation Defense Tips for Boston Immigration Court

Yesterday I went to Boston District Office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for a green card interview for an immigration client from Cuba who filed his I-485 so that he could get a green card under the Cuban Adjustment Act. Today, I'd like to share some insights I've gained into how to prepare an adjustment of status application under the Cuban Adjustment Act.

First, the basics: To get a green card under the Cuban Adjustment Act, you must show that:

• you are a Cuban national, the best evidence of which is valid Cuban passport;
  
• you were inspected and admitted or paroled into the U.S. after January 1, 1959; and
  
• you have been physically present in the U.S. for at least one year before apply for your green card.

To apply for a green card, you must submit an I-485, G-325A, 2 passport photos, Form I-693 medical report and proof of physical presence. And in addition to these required items, you must also submit:

• Form I-643, Health and Human Services Statistical Data Sheet. This form is available on the USCIS website; and
• A clearance from the local police jurisdiction for any area in the U.S. where you have lived for six months or longer since your 14th birthday.

These last two requirements aren't listed on the USCIS website. And you won't find these requirements in the I-485 instructions. You will only find them in the USCIS Field Adjudicators Manual, which is hidden on the USCIS website. You won't get your green card until you provide USCIS with all of these required items. And if you go to your adjustment of status interview without them, USCIS will issue an I-72, Request for Evidence, and the approval of your I-485 could be delayed, sometimes significantly.

One final tip: you can ONLY apply for adjustment of status under the Cuban Adjustment Act with USCIS. You can't file your I-485 in Immigration Court. And an Immigration Judge has no jurisdiction to grant this form of relief.

If you have more questions about the Cuban Adjustment Act or how to get a green card, please call me at 617-722-0005. As an immigration lawyer in Boston, I'd be happy to advise you on your immigration options.

Boston, MA Deportation Defense Attorney

As an immigration lawyer, I frequently meet with people who have entered the United States without a visa or without being inspected by an immigration officer at an airport or border. Such people have sneaked their way into the United States and now they seek a green card or some other legal status. We immigration lawyers refer to this class of people as EWIs (entry without inspection).  What immigration options are available to someone who has no proof of being properly admitted and inspected upon entry into the U.S.?

One common path to permanent residency status is through marriage to a U.S. citizen. But U.S. immigration laws only allow someone to get a green card or become a permanent resident through adjustment of status if they can prove that they entered the U.S. with a valid visa. Proof of entry requires an I-94 record of entry, which is why this little piece of paper might be the most important document for your green card case.

If you haven't entered the U.S. with a visa and with inspection by an immigration officer, and are not required to appear in Immigration Court before an Immigration Judge, your immigration options are mostly limited to:

245(i): you can get a green card through marriage, a family member or through employment even if you entered without inspection, overstayed your status or worked without authorization, if you can take advantage of 245(i), which requires you to have been the beneficiary of an approvable labor certification or visa petition (I-130, I-140, I-360, I-526), which was filed on or before April 30, 2001 and were physically present in the U.S. on December 21, 2000. USCIS requires a fee of $1,000.

TPS: Temporary Protective Status is available for people who entered the U.S. without inspection. Although TPS is not a green card and doesn't lead to permanent residency status, those with TPS are eligible for employment authorization, work permits, and may not be deported. TPS is only available for certain nationals of Haiti, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Somalia, Sudan and certain other countries designated by the Department of Homeland Security.

VAWA: The Violence Against Women Act or VAWA provides a path to a green card for victim of an abusive U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident parent or spouse even if they entered the U.S. without inspection or parole.

Asylum, Withholding of Removal, and Convention Against Torture: these persecution-based forms of immigration relief are for people who are afraid to return to their country of origin. Proof of proper entry and inspection isn't required.

Cancellation of Removal for Non-lawful Permanent Residents:  You can obtain a green card by applying for cancellation of removal in Immigration Court before an immigration Judge if you have been continuously present in the U.S. for 10 years, can demonstrate good moral character, and can show that your deportation would cause "exceptional and extremely unusual" hardship to a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse, child or parent.

Other immigration options may exist for those who have entered without inspection.  If you would like to find out more information about these and other options, feel free to call me in my Boston immigration law office at 617-722-0005.  I'd be happy to meet with you and evaluate your options.

Boston Immigration Lawyer News

Immigration Judge Francis L. Cramer has announced his retirement from Boston Immigration Court.  As an immigration lawyer who appeared frequently before Immigration Judge Cramer, I can say that he will be sorely missed.  He had a reputation for deciding deportation cases fairly and impartially.  And he always treated the immigration lawyers and parties with great respect, at times, a lighthearted humor.  His departure leaves a vacancy in the Boston Immigration Court bench that will be hard to fill.

Deportation Defense Tips for Boston Immigration Court

As a deportation defense lawyer who frequently appears in Immigration Court in Boston, here are some tips that should improve your experience at your immigration hearing:

1. Attend all hearing in Immigration Court (and all other courts). If you don't go to Immigration Court for your hearing, the Immigration Judge will give you an order of removal or deportation "in absentia" and a warrant will be issued for your arrest.
   
   
2. Arrive one hour before the time of your scheduled hearing. In Boston Immigration Court, for all master calendar hearings, a sign-in sheet is placed in the waiting room. I tell my immigration clients to arrive and sign in one hour before the scheduled time of the hearing. The sooner you sign in, the sooner your immigration case will be heard by the Immigration Judge. Plus, showing up early helps ensure that you will be in Immigration Court on time. Be careful: if you are late for your immigration hearing, you could be given an order of removal or deportation.
   
   
3. Dress appropriately. Boston Immigration Court is a serious place and you want to show the Immigration Judge and the Trial Attorney that you take the proceedings seriously. Don't wear a hat inside the courtroom. Take off your jacket. Wear what you would wear to a job interview or to a wedding. Inappropriate attire includes t-shirts with questionable slogans, spandex, stiletto heels, mini skirts, do-rags, shorts--you get the idea.
   
   
4. Be respectful to the Immigration Judge and to the Trial Attorney.  Maintain a calm, polite demeanor in Immigration Court--even if things don't go your way.  Think of it this way:  deportation is bad but deportation plus being arrested and held in contempt of court is worse.
   
   
5. Do NOT bring small children to Boston Immigration Court in the hopes that it will make the Immigration Judge more sympathetic to your immigration case. Keep in mind that hearings in Immigration Court take a long time and often require lots of waiting around. Combine the boredom of waiting with the stress of the immigration hearing and you have a not-so-great environment for young children.
   
   
6. Make sure the Immigration Court has your correct address on file If you change your address, notify the Immigration Judge immediately by filing Form EOIR-33 with the appropriate proof of service.
   
   
7. Turn off your cellphone in Boston Immigration Court. Off means completely off. Don't send text messages or put your cellphone on the vibrate or silent mode.
   
   
8. If you case is based on a pending I-130 immigrant petition based on marriage to a U.S. citizen, make sure that your U.S. citizen spouse comes with you to Immigration Court for all of your master calendar hearings.
   
   
9. Do not bring a non-lawyer to Immigration Court to speak on your behalf.  In Immigration Court in Boston at master calendar hearings, I sometimes see people attempt to have their U.S. citizen spouse or family member speak on their behalf.  The Immigration Judge will not permit this.  Only lawyers licensed to practice law in the United States are authorized to appear in Immigration Court as your representative.
   
   
10. Hire the best immigration attorney you can find. In Boston Immigration Court, the Department of Homeland Security will be seeking to deport you from the US. This immigration agency will be represented by lawyers who handle countless deportation cases each week. Unlike criminal proceedings, federal immigration laws don't provide you with the right to a free lawyer. But you do have the right to be represented at your own expense by the lawyer of your choosing. In Immigration Court, you are not required to be represented by an attorney. But, in my experience, I have rarely seen anyone successful represent himself or herself in Immigration Court. You need a lawyer with substantial experience in complicated immigration issues and deportation proceedings, preferably an attorney who practices immigration law exclusively. Meet with an immigration lawyer well before your hearing to come up with a strategy to protect you from deportation.

If you have questions about Immigration Court, please call my Boston immigration law firm at 617-722-0005.  We are ready to help you come up with a strategy to help protect you from deportation.

Lately, our Boston immigration law office has been inundated by a flood of people who have had their I-751, petition to remove conditions on permanent residency, denied by USCIS because they were not filed on time. As the I-751 denial letter points out, when the I-751 is denied, all the rights and privileges of permanent residency are terminated. In some cases, the I-751 denial letter is accompanied by a Notice to Appear in Immigration Court, which means that deportation or removal proceedings have been initiated.

If you filed your I-751 late and then got one of these denial letters from USCIS, what should you do? First, take a deep breath. Relax. Don't panic. And, by all means, don't pack your bags and leave the U.S.

Before discussing the solution, let me explain the problem. When you are given a conditional green card, you are required to file, together with your spouse, a petition requesting the removal of the conditional basis for your residency within the 90-day period immediately before the second anniversary of the date that you became a permanent resident. If you fail to file the I-751 by this deadline, the immigration regulations say that you will lose your green card status and be placed in deportation proceedings!

USCIS will permit you to file your I-751 late, after the expiration date on your 2-year conditional green card, but only if you include a written explanation of why you failed to file on time and a written request asking USCIS to excuse the late filing of the I-751. If you file your I-751 late and don't include this written request, USCIS will deny your I-751 on the grounds that it was untimely. This is what happens to many I-751 applicants who include the written explanation and request as required. And even if you include the written explanation and request, USCIS will only excuse a late-filed I-751 for "good cause."

So, with this background in mind, here are 3 possible remedies to the denial of an I-751 for failure to file in a timely manner.

1. Refile the I-751 but this time include the written request that USCIS excuse the late filing and explaining why you file the I-751 late. Since you must convince USCIS that your failure to file on time was for "good cause," you should include affidavits, medical records, financial documents--any and all documentation to support your argument.

2. Request that an Immigration Judge review the denial of your I-751. You can't petition Immigration Court to review the denial of your I-751 directly. You can only do ask Immigration Court for review of the I-751 denial if you are placed in deportation proceedings and required to appear before an Immigration Judge. Immigration Court doesn't have jurisdiction over all denied I-751s but this option is available in some instances. At a hearing in Immigration Court, the Immigration Service--not you--would have the burden of showing that basis for why it denied your I-751.

3. File a motion to reopen the decision by USCIS to deny your I-751.

Which of these options is best path to keeping your green card depends on the facts of your immigration case.  This is a decision best made in consultation with an immigration attorney with substantial experience handling family-based immigration cases and with a strong background in deportation defense.

If you need more help or advice on how to remove the conditions on your green card or if you need representation in Immigration Court, please call me at 617-722-005 and schedule a time to meet with me to discuss your immigration case.