In immigration court, the Immigration Judge and the government’s Trial Attorney are handling a crowded docket, and the Trial Attorney’s job is to seek your removal.
To have a real chance, you need a deportation attorney who practices removal defense specifically — not general immigration filing work.
Brian D. Lerner is a Certified Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law (State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization) and has represented people in removal proceedings for over 30 years.
Many people search for a “deportation attorney near me.”
Proximity matters far less than courtroom experience — immigration court appearances are frequently conducted by video, and our firm represents clients in detention facilities and immigration courts across the United States.
Applying for Relief
As deportation lawyers, we prepare and litigate the forms of relief available in removal proceedings — asylum, withholding, CAT, cancellation of removal, adjustment of status, and waivers.
Bond Hearings
If you or a family member is detained, we prepare and argue for a bond that allows release while the case proceeds.
Decades of Experience
Our firm has handled removal-defense matters for more than 30 years, with over 5,000 cases nationwide.
Brian D. Lerner is a Certified Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law (State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization).
Don’t Face Immigration Court Alone: How a Deportation Lawyer Can Help You Stay in the U.S.
In over 30 years representing people in removal proceedings, I have seen how much fear and uncertainty these cases create for families.
What follows is a plain-English explanation of what a deportation lawyer actually does, why representation matters in immigration court, and what to look for when choosing counsel.
What is Deportation?
Deportation — called “removal” in the statute — is the legal process of removing a noncitizen from the United States.
It can follow a visa overstay, a criminal conviction, an unauthorized entry, a denied application, or a prior order that is later reinstated.
Why do you need a deportation lawyer?
Removal proceedings are adversarial litigation. The government is represented by a trained trial attorney; there is no right to appointed counsel, so an unrepresented respondent faces that attorney alone.
Eligibility for relief frequently turns on details a non-lawyer would not recognize as significant — the date and manner of entry, how a criminal statute is worded, whether a prior order was entered in absentia, or whether the Notice to Appear was properly served.
Missing a filing deadline or conceding removability at the master calendar hearing can foreclose relief that was otherwise available.
What does a deportation lawyer do?
A removal-defense attorney handles the case from the first hearing through appeal, if needed:
Screening for relief
Reviewing the A-file, entry history, and any criminal record to identify every form of relief you may qualify for — and the bars that may apply.
Representation in Court
Appearing at master calendar and individual hearings, pleading to the allegations, examining and cross-examining witnesses, and making the legal record needed to preserve issues for appeal.
Evidence Gathering
Assembling declarations, country-conditions evidence, expert reports, medical and psychological evaluations, and hardship documentation to the standard the judge applies.
Defense Strategy
Testing whether the government can carry its burden on removability, challenging a defective Notice to Appear, and applying the categorical approach to criminal grounds where it fits.
What representation changes
Having counsel does not guarantee any particular result. What it changes is the process:
Every available form of relief gets identified
Relief is often available on grounds the respondent did not know existed — a U visa through a past crime, a 237(a)(1)(H) waiver, derivative citizenship through a parent, or reopening an in-absentia order for lack of notice.
Deadlines and filings are handled correctly
Immigration filing deadlines are strict and frequently jurisdictional. A motion to reopen filed one day late, or an application submitted without the required supporting evidence, can end the case.
You know where the case stands
Removal cases run for months or years. We explain what each hearing decides, what the judge must find, and what happens next.
The record is preserved for appeal
If the immigration judge denies relief, the BIA and the courts of appeals generally review only what is in the record. Issues not raised below are typically waived.
How to choose a deportation lawyer
Not every immigration lawyer litigates removal cases, and not every removal-defense lawyer handles the kind of case you have. Questions worth asking any attorney you consider:
Do they appear in immigration court regularly?
Removal defense is litigation, not form preparation. Ask how often the attorney appears before the immigration court handling your case, and whether they also handle BIA appeals and federal petitions for review — because that is where a denial goes next.
Are they credentialed in immigration law?
California certifies specialists in Immigration and Nationality Law through the State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, which requires examination, peer review, and demonstrated experience. You can verify any California attorney’s license and certification directly with the State Bar.
Who will actually handle the case?
Ask who will appear at your hearing, who prepares the filings, and how you will reach them. In our firm, Brian D. Lerner handles the removal-defense matters personally.
Is the fee arrangement in writing?
You should receive a written engagement agreement stating what is covered — bond hearing, merits hearing, appeal — and what is not, before you pay anything.
Deportation Defense — national immigration law firm services, strategy, and immediate next steps
Facing removal (deportation) is urgent and high-stakes. Our national deportation-defense practice represents clients in immigration court and federal litigation, defends against reinstatements and removals, and pursues reliefs including asylum, cancellation of removal, adjustment of status, withholding of removal, CAT relief, waivers, and bond. We coordinate criminal-immigration mitigation, prepare motions to reopen and reconsider, and litigate novel due-process and statutory claims to protect clients’ rights.
Who we represent
- Noncitizens with final or pending removal orders.
- Detainees in ICE custody facing imminent removal.
- People subject to reinstatement after prior removal or with in-absentia orders.
- Noncitizens with criminal records seeking relief from removal or mitigation.
- Families seeking to preserve immigration status and stop deportation.
Core practice areas & relief
- Asylum, withholding, and CAT relief (affirmative and defensive).
- Cancellation of removal (non-LPR & LPR), adjustment strategies, and waivers.
- Motions to reopen/reconsider, BIA appeals, and federal petitions for review.
- Bond advocacy, alternatives to detention, and emergency stays/habeas.
Immediate intake steps
- Pull A-file and court records immediately.
- Request emergency stays and stop-imminent-removal filings if necessary.
- Screen for potential relief and collect urgent evidence.
- Coordinate with criminal counsel for post-conviction relief where relevant.
If you or a family member has a hearing scheduled, has been detained, or has received a Notice to Appear, schedule a consultation or call (562) 495-0554.
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