Our results speak for themselves.
Read about some of our recent cases:
CASE: MATTER OF J.C.C.A.
RESULT: Client NOT Deported
Explanation: This client had fought in the civil war in El Salvador, where he suffered traumatic brain injury. Death squads tried to kill him after the war due to his part in the conflict. He fled to the United States, where he was placed in deportation proceedings. After several continuances, Aaron Haas was asked to represent him. After medical testing, the case was dismissed on account of the client’s war injuries.
CASE: MATTER OF P.D.
RESULT: Client NOT Deported
Explanation: This client was born in Nigeria but moved to the United States as a young child. He was convicted of two drug offenses and placed in removal proceedings. He was not eligible for asylum or cancellation. Aaron Haas argued successfully that his deportation should be stopped under the Convention Against Torture because Nigerian law would mandate five years of prison, under inhumane conditions, due to his drug convictions.
CASE: MATTER OF P.W.
RESULT: Client NOT Deported
Explanation: This client from Jamaica had theft of service (hot check) convictions from Ohio in the early 1990s, and was placed in removal proceedings. Aaron fought to get those convictions overturned because Ohio law at that time required immigration warnings and none were found in the transcripts of her criminal case. Once these convictions were overturned, her deportation proceedings were terminated.
CASE: MATTER OF B.A.S.
RESULT: Client NOT Deported
Explanation: This client was kidnapped and trafficked into Texas by criminal gangs from Guatemala. She was trying to apply for asylum but had already missed the deadline when we started to represent her. We were able to get a special visa for her for victims of human trafficking. With this T visa, the removal proceedings were terminated.
CASE: MATTER OF A.S.
RESULT: Client Wins Naturalization
Explanation: This client was arrested for child abuse when she used a hot utensil to burn her daughter as punishment. We asked the state prosecutor to hold off on the criminal charges until she could be naturalized and avoid the possibility of removal. Her initial application for naturalization was denied due to lack of good moral character. We asked for a re-hearing and the application was approved after we demonstrated that she was under severe mental strain at the time of the incident.
CASE: MATTER OF S.M.M.
RESULT: Client Not Deported
Explanation: This man was convicted of child endangerment and was placed in removal proceedings. We argued that his conviction was not a crime of child abuse or neglect because the mens rea was different. This issue went to oral argument at the Board of Immigration Appeals near Washington, D.C. Eventually, the client won his case through cancellation.
CASE: MATTER OF E.M.
RESULT: Client Wins Asylum
Explanation: This client was from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he worked for a non-governmental organization that distributed micro-loans to small farmers. While visiting the farmers, he realized that their money and livestock were being stolen by the government. He reported this to his superiors who notified the media. The government retaliated against him by putting him in prison, torturing him, and trying to kill him before he narrowly escaped. We won his asylum case as a government whistleblower.
CASE: MATTER OF G.N.
RESULT: Client Not Deported
Explanation: This woman was placed in removal proceedings as an illegal entrant though she had two U.S. citizen children. There were no good defenses in immigration court at that time. We found out she had been the victim of domestic violence several years in the past and were able to convince the prosecutors in Austin to certify her for a U visa. This certification allowed her to obtain legal status and stop the removal proceedings.
CASE: MATTER OF J.E.
RESULT: Client Not Deported
Explanation: This client was convicted of possession of cocaine. He was 19 years old, with a new wife and young daughter. At the time of his cocaine use, he had broken up with his pregnant wife and felt guilty about it. We were able to show the judge that his drug use stemmed from this guilt and depression and the judge cancelled his removal.
CASE: MATTER OF M.P.
RESULT: Client Not Deported
Explanation: This seventeen-year old from El Salvador was caught at the border and placed in removal proceedings. He was reunited with his father in Virginia, who was also undocumented. We had the father petition for custody of his son and asked the juvenile judge to declare the child a “special immigrant juvenile”. With this designation, we were able to get him legal status and stop the deportation proceedings.
CASE: MATTER OF J.C.
RESULT: Client Not Deported
Explanation: This client was facing deportation due to a conviction for unlawful transportation of undocumented immigrants. He had been convicted in federal court but the conviction was later dismissed under the Federal First Offender Act. This act had been repealed at the time and the order was therefore probably invalid. We argued successfully that the order should nevertheless be followed because it was not facially void, and the deportation proceedings were dismissed.