The everchanging landscape involving travel restrictions, residency, citizenship, and visas have made it difficult to acquire sound legal advice to protect your rights. The attitudes towards welcoming immigrations are changing due to tighter travel restrictions. In Texas, a new law was enacted in 2017 by the state legislature, which requires local officials to detain any suspected undocumented individuals, until federal authorities take control. That legislature also allows law enforcement personnel to ask for proof of residency during a routine traffic stop.

The new laws can get you in serious legal trouble, especially if you are an immigrant, and in severe cases, you may need the help of a Carrollton immigration attorney. It is advised that all individuals looking for residency status, citizenship, or entry visas for school or work, should acquire the help of an experienced immigration law firm. This will help save a lot of frustration and time by submitting applications accurately, and eliminating any possible ‘red flags’ raised by government agencies.

The best Carrollton immigration lawyer should be skilled in the following:

• Business Immigration Law
• Deportation Defense
• Family Immigration Law
• Political Asylum
• Visa and Green Card Matters

This will ensure that you are acquiring the services of seasoned professionals, who can help you get out of any immigration trouble.

Important criteria for selecting a Carrollton immigration lawyer

There are a lot of things you should look for when hiring the services of an immigration attorney in Carrollton. The most important criteria you should look at includes:

1. Is the attorney recognized positively?

The best Carrollton immigration lawyers are recognized by their peers and are highly regarded as skilled and knowledgeable professionals. This is one of the first things you should look at when you want to hire an immigration lawyer for your case.

2. What has been their success rate in similar cases?

Ask to schedule a face-to-face interview, so that you can review their success rate in handling cases like yours. You should ask for reviews and references from them. Check whether the attorney is a certified member of the American Bar Association and the law firm has attorneys that have been certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Immigration and Nationality Law. It is important that you work with an immigration attorney that has the appropriate certifications to practice law.

3. Are they located nearby?

You should acquire the services of an immigration attorney that is located nearby, because it is important if your family are involved in a confrontation that needs immediate protection from an immigration lawyer in Carrollton.

4. Do they speak your language?

The legal language in immigration laws and state legislatures is complicated, which is why it is important that your immigration attorney speaks your language. This will allow them to provide you with proper legal advice, and help understand the processes, costs, risks, and strategies involved.

5. Does the firm offer a free consultation?

Most law firms do provide free initial consultations, and it is important that you schedule meetings with your immigration attorney, so they can properly understand your situation, and determine whether they can help you.

6. Is the website professional and informative?

You should check the website of the law firm, and look for whether it is professional and informative. The website should reflect the law firm’s certifications, staffing, awards, immigration law focus, professionalism, and scope of service.

7. Does the firm or attorney specialize in immigration law?

This is one of the first things you should look at when hiring an immigration attorney in Carrollton, because you need a specialist immigration attorney to handle complicated immigration matters.

8. How many years of experience?

When it comes to immigration law, you should acquire the services of an experienced immigration law firm. This will mean that your immigration lawyer will be well versed in immigration matters, and will know the best strategies for your immigration case.

9. Does the firm work as a team?

It is imperative that the law firm has great coordination between them, so that they can represent your case properly. The law firm must have front-line attorneys that are well supported by their staff to execute all the legal details of your case properly.

Important FAQs about Immigration in Carrollton, Texas

Ø How are immigration issues handled?

The federal government controls all immigration issues, and local law enforcement has no jurisdiction, which means they can’t act legally on any immigration issues. Law enforcement must work in cooperation with the Immigration and Customers Enforcement (ICE).

Ø What can a city do?

When it comes to immigration issues cities have no legal authority to act. They can only refer individuals that have been detained for criminal offenses to the Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) to determine their legal status, provide public education, and formally participate in the 287(g) program.

Ø What is the City of Carrollton doing?

The city of Carrollton can only legally do the following:

• In 2007, the Carrollton Police Department implemented procedures for tracking non-US citizens that were processed at the jail, and worked with ICE to determine whether they were subject to the investigative holds of ICE.
• The City Council gave authority to the City Manager to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with ICE for participating in local jail enforcement 287(g) program, in August 2008.
• This led to the formation of a Council sub-committee for studying the effects and importance of illegal immigration in Carrollton.
• In 2008, the City Council gave authority to the Police Department to hire 2 more civilian detention officers for ICE jail enforcement who have received extensive ICE 287(g) training.

Ø What is the 287(g) program?

This program is related to the 287(g) of the Federal Immigration and Nationality Act which gives authority to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies for specific and limited specific immigration law enforcement functions. This can only be done after the offices have undergone extensive training from ICE. The main priority of ICE is the removal of aliens involved in gang activity, terrorism, and felony offenses.

Ø How does this differ from current law enforcement practices?

The major difference is that before the 287(g) participation, the police department used to contact ICE and request a review of their records and database. Now the authority has been given to the 287(g) trained Detention officers to access those databases. This streamlines the process by cutting down on detention time in hails, which only act as temporary holding facilities.

The police department can carry the effective processes put in place, when trained ICE Detention Officers aren’t on duty, and can make arrests on behalf of ICE.

 

If you are facing immigration trouble in Carrollton, Texas, it is recommended that you acquire the services of the best Carrollton immigration attorney to handle your case.