Attorney Edward Bajoka: A Leader in Immigration Crimes Defense
Anyone who is not a U.S. citizen faces possible deportation if convicted of criminal charges. Detroit criminal charges and immigration defense lawyer Edward Bajoka and his team understand the fear that the threat of deportation can evoke in an immigrant under arrest. As a long time Detroit criminal defense attorney, Edward Bajoka has represented many immigrants against criminal charges. He is skilled at this type of complex criminal defense and takes special care to consider the immigration consequences of criminal charges.
Under United States immigration law, certain criminal offenses are “per se” deportable. These include drug distribution and domestic violence. This means that an immigrant will automatically face deportation upon conviction, most often without much of a chance to make a counterargument. Other types of criminal charges are “not per se” deportable under immigration law. Attorney Bajoka and his team understand the importance of examining the effect on immigration status of the precise criminal charges. They have enjoyed success over the years in negotiating pleas to different criminal charges that are not as likely to result in deportation.
A crime of moral turpitude is something that is shocking to the public conscience, is vile or depraved, or violates rules of morality and duties of society. Crimes of moral turpitude can include the following:
Murder
Voluntary or Involuntary Manslaughter
Rape
Incest
Kidnapping
Robbery
Child Abuse
Spousal Abuse
Aggravated Assault
Mayhem
Animal Fighting
Fraud
Conspiracy
If you have been convicted of one of these crimes, it can affect your ability to get a, or keep a, green card. If you are convicted of two or more crimes of moral turpitude within 5 years of being admitted to the country, you could be facing deportation.
Aggravated felonies that you can be deported for include:
Murder
Rape
Drug Trafficking
Money Laundering
Tax Evasion
Firearm Trafficking
Treason
Sabotage
Smuggling Immigrants
Child Pornography
Spying
Theft
If you have been charged with an aggravated felony, you will be detained without bond and deported as soon as possible. If you are deported for an aggravated felony, you will be banned from the United States for life.
The estimated immigrant population in the United States is over 10 million people. To account for this large number of people and those who are trying to be added to this population, the FBI and ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement) have made immigration crimes a major focus as directed by the federal government. The federal government has criminalized illegal entries into the United States in an effort to try to stop illegal immigration, even if it results in families being separated. It is important to know that the federal government is not taking these cases lightly. Expect the full force of the federal government in investigating and prosecuting immigration crime cases.
Possible punishments for an immigration crime include:
Prison:
An illegal entry charge is a misdemeanor and can result in up to six months of jail time. An illegal re-entry is a felony and can result in up to two years in federal prison. If the illegal re-entry offender was removed due to the conviction of certain crimes the punishment can rise to 20 years in federal prison. As you can see, many options are on the table in terms of potential prison sentences for an immigration crime conviction.
Probation:
Probation is an alternative to jail that a judge can sentence someone for an immigration crime conviction. As part of the probation, the offender will have to follow certain guidelines, may have to submit for drug or alcohol screening, and will have an assigned probation agent that they will need to stay in close contact with. Violations of probation can result in lengthy prison sentences.
Restitution:
A judge can order an offender to pay back the money improperly obtained due to their illegal activity. This number can easily end up in the millions of dollars.
Fines:
A fine for an illegal entry can be as low as $50 or $250. The fine for committing immigration-related marriage fraud can be as high as $250,000. Again, it is easy to see how these fines can add up very quickly.
Other:
You could lose your ability to ever legally become a citizen of the United States.
Our legal system rests upon the principle that everyone is entitled to due process of law and a meaningful opportunity to be heard. But for far too long, the immigration system has failed to provide non-citizens with a system of justice that lives up to this standard. Edward Bajoka, Detroit’s leading Immigration Crimes attorney can help.
“Crimmigration” is where criminal law and immigration law intersect. If you are seeking legal status or already have a green card, and are arrested for a criminal offense, these two cases could become intrinsically intertwined. Many years ago,, criminal punishments were roughly the same for citizens and non-citizens alike. However, more recently, non-citizens have seen their criminal cases affect their immigration cases (“Crimmigration”) in big ways. The legal dangers of having a criminal case and an immigration case at the same time are great. This is why it is important to hire an attorney that is experienced and qualified in both criminal law and immigration law if you are arrested at any point during your immigration case.
Green cards, visas, work permits, and other legal forms of immigration are essentially contracts between an immigrant and the government of the country they migrate to. Regardless of whether an individual is illegally present in the country or has obtained lawful permanent residency or citizenship, committing certain crimes outlined in the Immigrant and Nationality Act (INA) is considered a violation of this contract. This gives the immigration court the legal authority to revoke their status, prevent them from continuing along the path to citizenship, or deport them from the U.S. The INA differentiates between “deportable” crimes and “inadmissible” crimes. A conviction for a deportable crime can result in deportation, while a conviction for an inadmissible crime makes an individual ineligible to receive immigration benefits, meaning:
Undocumented immigrants cannot apply for permanent residency or adjustment of status.
Legal immigrants cannot obtain citizenship (naturalization).
Legal immigrants cannot re-enter the country if they leave.
Additionally, entering the country or obtaining immigration benefits after being deemed “inadmissible” can result in deportation.
Why Immigration Crimes Attorney Edward Bajoka in Detroit
Most attorneys have never stepped foot in a federal courthouse, much less have actually been a part of a federal jury trial. Do you really want your case to be the first your attorney has actually defended in federal court? While the answer to that question might be easy, choosing the right attorney might not be as simple. The right attorney for a federal immigration crime case is not someone looking to sign up every person that walks through their door. The right attorney for a federal immigration crime case is one that has the proper experience, time, and resources to put into defending your case against the power of the government. The United States government has unlimited resources when it comes to investigating and building cases. Your first step towards leveling the playing field is hiring an attorney who brings years of successful federal criminal defense experience to the table. At Bajoka Law in Detroit, we lean on this past experience to help bring future success.
Contact Bajoka Law at (844) 4BAJOKA today to schedule an appointment.
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Under United States immigration law, certain criminal offenses are “per se” deportable. These include drug distribution and domestic violence. This means that an immigrant will automatically face deportation upon conviction, most often without much of a chance to make a counterargument. Other types of criminal charges are “not per se” deportable under immigration law. Attorney Bajoka and his team understand the importance of examining the effect on immigration status of the precise criminal charges. They have enjoyed success over the years in negotiating pleas to different criminal charges that are not as likely to result in deportation.
A crime of moral turpitude is something that is shocking to the public conscience, is vile or depraved, or violates rules of morality and duties of society. Crimes of moral turpitude can include the following:
If you have been convicted of one of these crimes, it can affect your ability to get a, or keep a, green card. If you are convicted of two or more crimes of moral turpitude within 5 years of being admitted to the country, you could be facing deportation.
Aggravated felonies that you can be deported for include:
If you have been charged with an aggravated felony, you will be detained without bond and deported as soon as possible. If you are deported for an aggravated felony, you will be banned from the United States for life.
The estimated immigrant population in the United States is over 10 million people. To account for this large number of people and those who are trying to be added to this population, the FBI and ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement) have made immigration crimes a major focus as directed by the federal government. The federal government has criminalized illegal entries into the United States in an effort to try to stop illegal immigration, even if it results in families being separated. It is important to know that the federal government is not taking these cases lightly. Expect the full force of the federal government in investigating and prosecuting immigration crime cases.
Possible punishments for an immigration crime include:
Our legal system rests upon the principle that everyone is entitled to due process of law and a meaningful opportunity to be heard. But for far too long, the immigration system has failed to provide non-citizens with a system of justice that lives up to this standard. Edward Bajoka, Detroit’s leading Immigration Crimes attorney can help.
“Crimmigration” is where criminal law and immigration law intersect. If you are seeking legal status or already have a green card, and are arrested for a criminal offense, these two cases could become intrinsically intertwined. Many years ago,, criminal punishments were roughly the same for citizens and non-citizens alike. However, more recently, non-citizens have seen their criminal cases affect their immigration cases (“Crimmigration”) in big ways. The legal dangers of having a criminal case and an immigration case at the same time are great. This is why it is important to hire an attorney that is experienced and qualified in both criminal law and immigration law if you are arrested at any point during your immigration case.
Green cards, visas, work permits, and other legal forms of immigration are essentially contracts between an immigrant and the government of the country they migrate to. Regardless of whether an individual is illegally present in the country or has obtained lawful permanent residency or citizenship, committing certain crimes outlined in the Immigrant and Nationality Act (INA) is considered a violation of this contract. This gives the immigration court the legal authority to revoke their status, prevent them from continuing along the path to citizenship, or deport them from the U.S. The INA differentiates between “deportable” crimes and “inadmissible” crimes. A conviction for a deportable crime can result in deportation, while a conviction for an inadmissible crime makes an individual ineligible to receive immigration benefits, meaning:
Additionally, entering the country or obtaining immigration benefits after being deemed “inadmissible” can result in deportation.
Why Immigration Crimes Attorney Edward Bajoka in Detroit
Most attorneys have never stepped foot in a federal courthouse, much less have actually been a part of a federal jury trial. Do you really want your case to be the first your attorney has actually defended in federal court? While the answer to that question might be easy, choosing the right attorney might not be as simple. The right attorney for a federal immigration crime case is not someone looking to sign up every person that walks through their door. The right attorney for a federal immigration crime case is one that has the proper experience, time, and resources to put into defending your case against the power of the government. The United States government has unlimited resources when it comes to investigating and building cases. Your first step towards leveling the playing field is hiring an attorney who brings years of successful federal criminal defense experience to the table. At Bajoka Law in Detroit, we lean on this past experience to help bring future success.
Contact Bajoka Law at (844) 4BAJOKA today to schedule an appointment.
