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Immigration Violations

Federal Immigration Violations Defense Lawyer

More and more now, the federal government is cracking down on illegal immigration — people who are coming over the wall near the borders, people who are already in the county and then getting caught, either pulled over by the police, caught in one of the local jails, caught at one of the prisons — are being deported back to their country. 

But a lot of times, before they get deported, they're being charged at the federal level in the federal district where their illegal immigration is taking place.

So, if you or a loved one is being charged with a federal immigration offense, obviously, you're going to want to get a criminal defense attorney to help you because there are a lot of things that the feds can do that are punishment-oriented that can really affect you — not only your freedom but your criminal record and your ability ever to get back into the country again.

A lot of people just take the position, well, I just want to be deported, and I'll never come back again.  But the feds don't do that.  If they charge you with a federal criminal offense, they're first going to get a conviction on your record, and then they're going to try to punish you.  A lot of times, that punishment is through custody. 

So, they'll hold you in custody for a period of time if you get convicted through a jury trial, for example, or if you work out a deal through a plea agreement and then the Judge sentences you to an amount of time in federal custody. Then they deport you back to your home country.

Really what they're trying to do is (1) punish you; (2) deter you from coming back to the country again for fear that you will be charged again with an illegal immigration federal criminal offense and given even more federal time in custody. Further, in my opinion, they're trying to set things up a lot of times so you can never get back in the country again because you're getting these convictions for illegally coming in.

Therefore, if you ever try to seek asylum, naturalization, get your green card, and eventually become a citizen, you're blocked from doing so by these felony federal immigration criminal charges on your criminal record that you can't get off.

8 U.S.C. § 1325: US Code – Section 1325: Improper Entry by Alien

a) Improper time or place; avoidance of examination or inspection;
misrepresentation and concealment of facts
Any alien who

(1) enters or attempts to enter the United States at any time or place other than as designated by immigration officers, or
(2) eludes examination or inspection by immigration officers, or
(3) attempts to enter or obtains entry to the United States by a willfully false or misleading representation or the willful concealment of a material fact shall, for the first
commission of any such offense, be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than six months, or both, and, for a subsequent commission of any such offense, be fined under title 18, or
imprisoned not more than 2 years, or both.

(b) Improper time or place; civil penalties Any alien who is apprehended while entering (or attempting to enter) the United States at a time or place other than as designated by immigration officers shall be subject to a civil penalty of –

(1) at least $50 and not more than $250 for each such entry (or attempted entry); or
(2) twice the amount specified in paragraph (1) in the case of an alien who has been previously subject to a civil penalty under this subsection. Civil penalties under this subsection are in addition to, and not in lieu of, any criminal or other civil penalties that may be imposed.

(c) Marriage fraud Any individual who knowingly enters into a marriage for the purpose of evading any provision of the immigration laws shall be imprisoned for not more than five years, fined not more than $250,000, or both.

(d) Immigration-related entrepreneurship fraud Any individual who knowingly establishes a commercial enterprise for the purpose of evading any provision of the immigration laws shall be imprisoned for not more than five years, fined in accordance with Title 18, or both. Title 8 U.S. Code 1324 defines the crime of bringing in and harboring certain aliens.

Avoiding a Conviction

So, you definitely want to get an attorney who understands how the feds work, who understands what it takes to get a conviction for an immigration offense, and what it takes to avoid going into custody for a long period of time.  What I have you do if you're out of custody is we sit down, and we talk with your family, and go over everything related to the case.

If you're in custody, I will visit you wherever you're in custody.  We'll talk about what the circumstances are, obviously, and get your version of events as to what happened. Then I will speak to the prosecutor and ultimately the Judge in federal sentencing and try to get you out of custody as fast as possible, preserve whatever rights I can relate to your immigration status.  We will also consult an immigration attorney because they're going to want to weigh in on it.

In my experience, the immigration laws and the prosecution of them ad how they deal with them are ever-changing, meaning they are ever being altered. Things are really in a state of flux where it's very difficult to really know how the immigration authorities, how the judges are going to deal with somebody who is in their immigration custody and wants to come into the United States but has certain convictions and certain offenses.

The people that really see investigating these crimes is Homeland Security.  They are in charge of enforcing our immigration laws. Now that the political climate is related to illegal immigration, you must be careful because they're much more on the ball.

They're much more harsh when it comes to punishing people who are entering our country illegally.  It really is a trickle-down effect.  If the top authority, the President of the United States, the Congress is against illegal immigration and is on the warpath about it. Obviously, those people who are getting caught illegally entering the country are going to suffer the consequences.

Immigration violations can be hectic and stressful. You need a skilled and aggressive federal criminal defense attorney to be on your side and to fight on your behalf. So, if you or a loved one has a federal immigration case, and is looking at criminal sanctions, pick up the phone now.  Let's talk. 

Let's see what I can do to help you salvage your rights, protect your freedom, protect your liberty, and get you out of the federal criminal defense system as fast as possible.

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Hedding Law Firm is committed to answering your questions about Federal Criminal Defense issues in Los Angeles and Encino California. We'll gladly discuss your case with you at your convenience. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

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