The threat of deportation is a very scary thing to any immigrant still awaiting full citizenship in the United States. There are a few different reasons it can happen, but for someone unfamiliar with the country’s immigration laws and regulations, it could seem to come out of nowhere. This is the biggest reason why an immigration attorney is an essential resource to have on your side if you’re facing the threat of deportation, or believe you may soon run into this issue.

An attorney can give you a much clearer sense of your situation, explain everything about immigration law you don’t fully understand, and help you build a defense that will keep you from being removed from the United States unjustly. Some of these attorneys can be found at the Tampa Immigration Law Center.

There’s no one who understands the situation of an immigrant feeling their place in the United States is at risk better than another immigrant. That’s what makes the Tampa immigration attorneys at the Tampa Immigration Law Center some of the most trusted and skilled practitioners of immigration law in Tampa. Their combined experience as both immigrants and attorneys gives them a true understanding of the situation you’re in, and how best to help you resolve it.

Read on for more information about the deportation process itself and how a Tampa immigration attorney can help get you through it.

The deportation process

We’ve written on our blog in the past about how deportation works. The actual process itself is incredibly important to understand, not only for the sake of better understanding what’s happening to you and how your place in the United States is at risk, but also for gauging how well an attorney you’re considering retaining can help get you through that process without losing your place in the country.

Before a deportation hearing begins, you’ll receive a notice in the mail ordering you to appear in immigration court. In standard ‘Removal Proceedings,’ you appear before a judge to plead your case. The first hearing of your case is the ‘Master Calendar Hearing,’ where you’ll discuss your charges and options for relief with your judge and attorney. To be eligible for relief, you’ll either need to have been granted asylum, have a spouse or family member who’s a full U.S. citizen, have been living in the U.S. for over 10 years, or disproven the charges levied against you. Otherwise, you could be deported as soon as that first hearing.

You could also be subjected to ‘Expedited Removal Proceedings,’ in which you won’t even appear before a judge. This can happen if you don’t have the necessary documentation to prove you’re legally residing in the U.S. In this case, an immigration officer determines whether you’ll be deported.

How an immigration lawyer can help

Through this process, an experienced immigration lawyer is essential to have on your side to create the best defense possible against deportation. They can find potential defenses that may not be as clear to you, thanks to their thorough knowledge of immigration law, and help you create the best possible case for yourself around that defense.

There are a few different approaches many immigration attorneys will take. These include disputing the charges against you directly, proving that you are actually a U.S. citizen thanks to a family connection, proving that you qualify for asylum, arranging for you to receive a green card if you meet the right requirements, helping you create an application for cancellation of removal, or arguing that even if you don’t meet any legal requirements, you present no threat to the U.S. and don’t deserve to be prosecuted.

To learn more about how an immigration attorney can help you in a deportation case, take a look at this article from AllLaw.

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An experienced Tampa immigration attorney is your best defense against deportation. At the Tampa Immigration Law Center, we’ve got over a decade of experience on our side to put to work in your defense. Contact us now for a free consultation.