How long Can ICE Hold You in Jail?

It has always been your dream to live and work in the United States. Circumstances may have pushed you to enter the country illegally, and if you are in this situation and have been arrested by local law enforcement, the police who took you into custody may report your immigration status to Immigration Customs and Enforcement Agency (ICE).

If you are reported to ICE, the agency may want to take you into custody and ask local law enforcement to hold you. If the police comply with this request, they will hold you in jail for 48 hours. If they do not agree and you have other criminal charges pending, then you will go through the criminal justice system.

You can still be deported as a result of being arrested and charged with a crime, even if you are not immediately taken into custody by ICE. You will need legal immigration help Los Angeles after an arrest by local law enforcement. 

The first person you should speak to is a deportation lawyer Los Angeles. Getting legal immigration help Los Angeles should be your first order of business and a deportation lawyer Los Angeles is the only professional that can provide it.

The Best Way to Avoid Deportation

If you have been charged with a criminal offense and the police have solid evidence against you, a criminal defense lawyer may encourage a strategy that helps you avoid a trial and time in prison. But if you are an illegal immigrant, your first priority must be to avoid deportation. If you plead guilty to a crime, it may lead to the institution of removal proceedings against you by an Immigration Court. The only way to avoid this fate is to have the charges against you dropped or to fight the charges in court and be found innocent.

You should also bear in mind that if you admit enough facts to be found guilty and the judge orders some form of punishment, penalty, payment of court cost, or restraint of your liberty, you can be deported. If you initially plead guilty to a crime and then later withdraw your plea, the Immigration Court can deport you on this basis.

The one area of hope for you is a pre-plea diversion program. Many states offer deferred adjudication alternatives. Under the terms of such a program all charges against a defendant will be dropped if they complete certain conditions. If you never entered a guilty plea and entered a deferred adjudication program, you cannot be considered a convict under U.S. immigration law. It is one of the best ways to avoid deportation.

Getting Your Defense Team

You may need both a criminal lawyer and a deportation defense attorney Los Angeles. The important thing is to put together a legal defense that avoids any action that can lead to deportation. A deportation defense attorney Los Angeles will take the lead with their expertise in U.S. immigration law.

The best way to stay in the United States after an arrest is to speak to a removal proceedings immigration lawyer Los Angeles about any possible loopholes or defenses you have. Contact a removal proceedings immigration lawyer Los Angeles to start building a defense against your deportation.