Updates About Me

Client with Criminal Conviction Granted Adjustment of Status!

June 18, 2012 by Matthew

Last week, I attended an adjustment of status interview with a client and his wife. I’ve since received notice that he was approved for a green card. My client had a federal conviction for failure to provide currency reports pursuant to 31 U.S.C. § 5313(a). He has been in the country illegally since the 1980’s, but was afraid to pursue a green card because of his conviction. Many convictions render aliens inadmissible, so that they are barred from getting a green card, unless they qualify for a waiver and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (CIS) grants the waiver. In this particular instance, I happened to know that this particular crime is not considered to be a crime involving moral turpitude, so that a waiver was not necessary. When I submitted the applications for my client, I included a short argument of why my client did not need a waiver for his conviction in the cover letter. At the interview, the officer from CIS read my cover letter and told me that he agreed with me. Now after all of these years, my client no longer has to worry about being deported because he is legal.

I Spoke at the AILA National Conference

June 17, 2012 by Matthew

I just got home from the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s (AILA) National Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. On Friday, I spoke on a panel entitled, “Strategic and Evidentiary Issues in the Defense Against Removal.” My friends Joe Hohenstein and Philip Smith were on the panel with me. I spoke mostly about challenging forensic lab determinations and challenging port of entry and credible fear statements. I always enjoy attending the AILA National Conference. I was asked to be on AILA’s Amicus Committee again this year. The Amicus Committee writes briefs on behalf of AILA when AILA wishes to be heard in immigration cases that have important issues. The Amicus Committee had its first meeting of the year at the National Conference.

My 10th Year Anniversary

June 11, 2012 by Matthew

I got a card in the mail from the American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”). It congratulated me on being a member of AILA for 10 years. I hadn’t realized that I had been a member of AILA for that long. I’m glad that I’m a member of AILA. They provide a lot of information and resources for immigration lawyers. They also advocate for changes in the immigration laws. I think that anyone who practices immigration law should be a member of AILA.