Immigration

Immigration is one of the most complex areas of the law, and even cases that should be simple, such as a U.S. citizen petitioning for a spouse, often require a skilled, experienced immigration lawyer due to the daunting bureaucracy, confusing immigration forms, and hard-to-contact government employees who cannot give legal advice and often provide little or no information, even for people trying to immigrate legally.

The stakes get even higher if you have a family member in removal (formerly “deportation”) proceedings or in an ICE detention facility as a result of a criminal charge.  You may find yourself wondering if your family will be separated, if your family member can be granted a reasonable bond by an immigration judge, if your loved-one will be banished from the United States, or if there is any way for them to legally immigrate to the United States.  Even worse, your loved-one may be facing deportation to a country where s/he was harmed and persecuted, or fears future persecution, at the hands of the government or an entity that the government is unable or unwilling to control. 

If you or your family member is facing criminal charges that may have immigration consequences, you will want an expert in both criminal and immigration issues.  Dan has appeared as an expert witness in Iowa state courts regarding the immigration consequences of criminal convictions, and he has presented on the topic to other criminal and immigration lawyers as part of Continuing Legal Education programs.  If Dan represents you with both a criminal and immigration case, Dan can help you develop strategies to obtain a plea agreement that does not have negative immigration consequences, or proceed to a jury trial if that is the best option.

Dan is creative in seeing many immigration cases as a unique opportunity for an immigrant.  Often times even an undocumented immigrant may be granted employment authorization so s/he can work legally while the case is pending.  S/he may be eligible for asylum, legal permanent residency (green card), “cancellation of removal,” or U.S. citizenship.

Vondra Law Office staff are bilingual (Spanish), and Dan has nearly twenty years of training and experience listening to victims of trauma.  Successful outcomes in immigration cases depend on having an attorney who will take the time to learn all of the important facts early in the case and give you an honest opinion of the options that may be available to you. 

Dan has helped thousands of immigrant clients from all parts of the world be granted U.S. citizenship, green cards, asylum, bond from an immigration judge, cancellation of removal, U-visas, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petitions, and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status. 

* $150-$200 consultation fee includes up to 30 minutes of discussion, analysis, document review, and advice.