An arrest can be a frightening and harrowing experience, especially if you are an undocumented resident. If you have been arrested and jailed, you should worry about removal from the United States. Law enforcement personnel are likely to contact immigration authorities. And once the latter find out about your arrest and the fact that you do not have papers, they will put an immigration hold on you, which means as soon as your case is adjudicated and, if you are convicted, you serve your sentence, you will be taken into custody by immigration authorities.
If you are an undocumented resident who has been arrested, you need not only a criminal lawyer but an immigration attorney Maryland from the Thompson Legal Group as well.
Do not assume that prosecutors will treat you like any other criminal suspect once they learn that you are undocumented. Unless you have been arrested and charged with a violent crime, the prosecutor may drop the charges against you so that you can immediately be transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and then deported.
You need an immigration attorney immediately after your arrest. Immigration authorities have been known to quickly process and deport undocumented people who have been arrested. There is no time to spare. You must work quickly to save the life you have built in this country.
Even if you have a green card, the authorities can still deport you. Crimes involving drugs, firearms, domestic violence, rape, murder, theft, and trafficking can lead to the revocation of your lawful residency and your removal from the country. Again, these are instances in which the authorities have been known to act fast so that the undocumented person has little time to prepare their defense.
If you call an immigration attorney Maryland from the Thompson Legal Group when you are first arrested, they can take up your case and ensure that you receive due process.