The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will start removal proceedings if it believes a lawful permanent resident (LPR) is no longer deserving of that status. A criminal conviction or another form of moral wrongdoing are usually the only reasons the USCIS will make this effort. The government will base its decision entirely on facts, but did you know that you can use the opinions of others in your defense to cancel removal?
How Your Friends, Family & Coworkers Can Help Stop Removal
If you want to cancel your removal proceeding and stay in the country, then you need to meet some basic eligibility requirements as set by the USCIS. However, this is almost-certainly not going to be enough to cancel the process. You need to be prepared to convince an immigration judge that you should be able to remain as a legal permanent resident status holder, despite whatever accusations or convictions have damaged your reputation.
The judge will expect you to vouch for yourself, of course. The testimonies of real value will come from others. Start reaching out to people you know who think highly of you, or actually depend on you for their own comfortable living.
During your cancellation of removal hearing before a judge, you can bring forth witnesses like:
- Your family members who need you to help provide family income.
- Your close friends that have never known you to be dangerous or unreasonable.
- Your coworkers that depend on you to complete tough on-the-job tasks.
- Your neighbors that appreciate and respect your influence in the community.
You should not rule anyone out without carefully considering if they can help your case. Your ability to legally stay within the country is on-the-line, after all. If you are not certain if someone’s testimony will actually be helpful to your case, have that person sit down with your immigration law attorney first so they can make that decision for you.
If you live in Louisiana and are facing deportation or removal, you should call 337.214.0670 to connect with Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP and our Lake Charles immigration attorneys. Throughout the years, we have helped thousands of immigrants complete their immigration goals, including standing up for them during difficult removal procedure cases. To learn more about what we do for our clients, you can review some of our recent client testimonials or contact our office directly.