From our attorneys
A Florida arrest or conviction does not automatically block citizenship, but U.S. citizenship applications require proof of 'good moral character', and some convictions bar it permanently. What counts, what USCIS's 2025 policy shift changed, and how a Florida case can affect an N-400.
Cancellation of removal can turn a green card holder's deportation case into a stay in the United States, but an aggravated felony bars it outright, and other convictions can stop the residency clock or sink it on discretion. How the defense works and where a Florida criminal case fits in.
Posting a Florida criminal bond does not free someone ICE has a detainer on. How federal immigration custody splits into discretionary bond hearings and mandatory detention, what Florida's own detainer law changes, and how a Joseph hearing can challenge mandatory detention.
"Aggravated felony" is a federal immigration classification, not a Florida charge, and it can apply to convictions that are neither aggravated nor felonies under state law. What it means and which Florida charges are commonly analyzed this way.
Florida criminal defense counsel has a Sixth Amendment duty under Padilla v. Kentucky to advise noncitizen clients about a plea's immigration consequences, a separate duty from the court's own deportation warning. What each requires, when it applies, and how a Florida plea can be challenged when neither was met.
A criminal record doesn't automatically block a green card, but specific convictions trigger inadmissibility grounds with limited waivers, and a 2026 USCIS policy memo makes even eligible cases more discretionary. What actually stops an application, what can be waived, and how the process works.
What a 'crime involving moral turpitude' means under federal immigration law, which common Florida charges are analyzed this way, and how it can affect a green card, visa, or naturalization case.
What makes a criminal charge federal instead of state, who prosecutes federal cases in South Florida, and how federal court differs on bail, grand juries, sentencing, and time served.
What Florida arrests, pleas, and convictions can mean for green cards, visas, and removal, and why a plea that looks favorable in state court may not be immigration-safe.