Federal immigration law treats certain criminal convictions as grounds for deportation, ineligibility for asylum, denial of citizenship, or denial of admission to the United States. The categories include crimes involving moral turpitude, aggravated felonies, controlled substance offenses, firearm offenses, and crimes of domestic violence, among others.
A plea that looks like a good deal in state court can be the trigger for mandatory removal proceedings the same week. Most state court attorneys do not specialize in this analysis. Scott Gordon does.
Why dual practice matters.
The Supreme Court has held in Padilla v. Kentucky that defense attorneys are constitutionally required to advise non-citizen clients of the immigration consequences of a plea. In practice, that advice is often general and non-specific. The firm's analysis is precise: which subsection of which statute, with which elements, will produce which immigration result for this client with this immigration history.
Strategies the firm uses.
Charge bargaining to a non-removable offense, sentence structuring to avoid the one-year threshold for aggravated felonies, careful selection of factual basis at the plea hearing to control the record of conviction, post-conviction relief in older cases that produce current immigration exposure, and where appropriate, going to trial to avoid a conviction altogether.
Who this is for.
Lawful permanent residents (green card holders), DACA recipients, asylum seekers and recipients, refugees, applicants for adjustment of status, naturalization applicants, and any non-citizen facing any criminal charge in Illinois.
A coordinated representation.
When the same attorney handles the criminal case and the immigration consequences, the strategy is unified. There is no handoff, no missed communication, no surprise at the next hearing. There is one lawyer who understands the entire problem.
Who This Is For
- Lawful permanent residents facing any criminal charge
- DACA recipients with new criminal exposure
- Asylum applicants or recipients
- Naturalization applicants with prior records
- Clients with old convictions creating current immigration risk
Why Work With This Firm
- One attorney handling both criminal and immigration
- Plea negotiations structured for immigration safety
- Post-conviction relief for older convictions
- Padilla-compliant advice in writing
- Direct coordination across all matters