What should I do if I am arrested while here on a green card?

Many times people who are not United States citizens are arrested here. If that happens, you’ve got two problems right off the bat. What’s obvious is, you’ve got a criminal problem. What’s also equally significant is that you’ve got an immigration problem. The immigration consequences of criminal conduct must be considered by your criminal defense attorney when working with your immigration lawyer. The disposition of a criminal case, whether state or federal, has an enormous impact on whether you will be allowed to remain in the United States. So if you are not a United States citizen and you’re charged with a crime, you need a very experienced criminal defense attorney to represent you. However, that criminal defense attorney must understand the immigration consequences of criminal conduct. It’s not good enough just to be a criminal defense layer. Your lawyer must understand the ramifications of a non-US citizen or an alien being charged with a crime, state or federal.

By Jeffrey S. Weiner, P.A.