How removal gets started
The legal term today is removal. In many cases it begins when the government files a Notice to Appear with the immigration court, which is part of the Justice Department, and an ICE attorney presents the government's side. Some people are processed through faster procedures without a full hearing, depending on how and when they entered or whether they have a prior order. A permanent resident can be placed in removal proceedings after certain convictions, and a visa holder after falling out of status. Because the starting point decides which procedures and protections apply, the first task is usually identifying exactly which track you are on.
Where a criminal case and immigration meet
A guilty plea that looks small in criminal court can carry heavy immigration consequences, even when it involves no jail time. Immigration law has its own definition of a conviction, and some dispositions that state law treats leniently can still count. Sealing or expungement often does not erase the immigration effect. Criminal defense lawyers are obligated to advise noncitizen clients about deportation risk, and coordinating with an immigration lawyer before a plea gives both sides of the analysis a chance. If a case is already closed, there are sometimes ways to revisit it, but they are narrower and slower.
Gathering the record
Collect every immigration document you have, including approval notices, prior applications, and any paper from a border or ICE encounter. For a criminal matter, certified dispositions and the charging documents matter more than a summary from memory. Note who in your family is a citizen or permanent resident, and how long you have lived here, because those facts can bear on what defenses exist. A records request for your immigration file can show what the government already holds. When we meet, we map the procedural track, look at the criminal record next to the immigration history, and identify any deadline that is already running. We do not forecast results; we explain what the record supports and what it does not.
