[Blog]

In the last week, we have had two cases won at trial for people who make mistakes in their past, and were put in deportation proceedings because of them. One person admitted to committing fraud many years ago before becoming a Lawful Permanent Resident ("green card") and the government fought to send him back to his original country because of it. During his time as an LPR, he married, had several children, and worked hard despite having very little education - not even being able to read or write. In large part because of his lack of education, he wanted his kids to focus on their education, and his oldest is now the first person in their extended family to graduate from college. He was granted an INA 237(a)(1)(H) waiver.

The other person became an LPR in 1998, and also committed a handful of crimes between 1997and 2003. Then years later when he came back into the US on his LPR card and was placed in removal proceedings. He was detained by immigration in 2012, and we fought to get him out on bond based in large part on his US citizen child, whose mother was the victim of several of his crimes. In Court, he won a "readjustment" with an INA 212(h) waiver based on his rehabilitation and/or hardship to his US citizenship child. Despite being an LPR, he had to readjust because some of his criminal history made him "deportable," but a waiver existed for the related "inadmissibility" grounds. 

In both cases, after the evidence was provided and testimony taken, the government graciously waived their right to appeal the decisions so both clients are finally done with their lengthy deportation cases. Congratulations.