Fort Lauderdale Immigration Crime Defense Lawyer

Attorney for Immigration Crimes in FL

The federal government has ramped up its prosecution of immigration crimes in the last twenty years, particularly since the devastating happenings on September 11, 2001. These crimes are unfortunately common in Florida. If you have been accused of an immigration crime, you will need an exceptional Fort Lauderdale immigration crimes defense lawyer with experience operating in the federal court system.

If you are not an American citizen, you may lose your immigration status and face forced deportation from the county if you are convicted of a crime of this nature. If you are a native resident, you will face severe sentences with long prison terms. An amazing 96% of all immigration crime defendants are convicted when tried in the federal court system. The average punishment for these crimes is almost two years in prison, followed by detention in the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services custody. As you can see, the right Fort Lauderdale immigration crime defense lawyer can make a huge difference in your future.

There are many types of immigration crimes, all of which have a different level of sentencing. Common crimes and their subsequent penalties include:

Alien Smuggling or Bringing an Alien Into The States. These two acts can be punished with up to a ten year sentence and heavy fines. These penalties may be increased if you caused injury to an alien. If the violation caused a person to die, you could even face capital punishment or life imprisonment.

Alien Harboring, Transporting and Conspiracy in Alien Smuggling. These crimes can be punishable for up to 5 years imprisonment, unless the person operated in interest of financial gain. In these situations, the maximum sentence will be increased to 10 years. Your punishment may also be increased if anyone was injured or killed throughout the incident.

Hiring an Illegal Alien. If you are caught only once for this crime, it is unlikely you will be charged. However, the repeated hiring of illegal immigrants can result in a $3000 fine for each worker and up to six months in jail.

Illegal re-entry after deportation. If you were deported and then re-entered the country, you may face a sentence of up to 2 years. This is a much more serious issue though if you were deported in relation to a criminal conviction. If you have been convicted of three of more crimes, you may receive up to 10 years in prison. In certain circumstances, your sentence may even be as long as 20 years.

Refusal to Depart. If you have refused to leave the US after a final order of removal, you have committed a crime. Under this offense statute, you may be charged with up to 4 years imprisonment. If your deportation was related to criminal convictions or national security, you may face enhanced penalties.

Marriage Fraud. This is a very common crime in America and is taken very seriously by the Immigration Naturalization Services. If you willingly married someone solely for the sake of evading immigration laws, you can be fined $250,000 and spend five years in prison if you were convicted. Some people have even been convicted of this crime after they failed to divorce when their legitimate marriage went sour.

Lying On a Passport Application, Forging a Passport or Using a Fake Passport. All of these crimes can result in up to 10 years imprisonment. However, if the crime was committed to help a drug crime or to facilitate terrorism, the maximum sentence will be raised to 15 or 20 years imprisonment, respectively.

If you have been charged with an immigration crime, do not hesitate to contact an experienced Fort Lauderdale criminal lawyer. The sooner you call, the sooner your attorney can begin working on a strategy for your defense. With such high conviction rates and serious penalties, it is extremely important to hire your federal criminal defense in Fort Lauderdale as soon as possible.

The Stella Law Firm, P.A., offers top-quality representation to all clients and will work hard on your immigration crimes case. Call today to schedule a free initial consultation with a skilled Fort Lauderdale attorney for immigration crimes in FL.