Jessica SmithBobadilla

Practice/Deportation Defense

Practice Area 03

A removal order is not always the last word.

Removal proceedings, bond hearings, motions to reopen, and cases complicated by prior criminal records or earlier counsel mistakes. We handle the difficult ones.

Deportation Defense

Other firms sent us their files. We built the arguments they missed.

Deportation defense is not one thing. It is a set of overlapping legal questions: What relief is available given this person's history? Was the prior hearing conducted correctly? Is there new evidence that changes the analysis? Was prior counsel constitutionally ineffective? Each of those questions opens or closes different doors, and the answer determines the strategy.

The cases this office handles in deportation defense are typically not the simple ones. They involve prior criminal history, prior orders that were not appealed, prior counsel who made mistakes, or long time in proceedings without resolution. We look at what happened, assess what can legally be done with the record that exists, and tell clients the honest answer before any money changes hands.

Scope of representation

Where we defend.

  • 01

    Removal Proceedings

    Full representation before the immigration court, including master calendar hearings, individual hearings, and all evidentiary preparation for the merits of the case.

  • 02

    Bond Hearings

    Seeking release from immigration detention and arguing for bond or conditions of supervision before the immigration judge, including Joseph hearings for prolonged detention.

  • 03

    Motions to Reopen

    Filing motions at the immigration court or BIA to reopen closed cases based on new evidence, changed country conditions, or ineffective assistance of prior counsel under Matter of Lozada.

  • 04

    Cancellation of Removal

    Ten year cancellation for long term residents and VAWA based cancellation for survivors of abuse, including cases with complicated criminal histories.

  • 05

    Post Order Supervision and Stays

    Representing individuals with final orders of removal who remain in the country under supervision, and seeking administrative stays while post removal options are pursued.

A final order of removal is a legal conclusion, not a physical fact. Until the plane leaves, the law still applies.

Jessica Smith Bobadilla / Deportation Defense

Working with us

What we do with a difficult file.

  1. 01

    File Audit

    We obtain and read the full prior record, including transcripts, prior filings, and any criminal history. Ineffective assistance claims require this level of review.

  2. 02

    Honest Assessment

    We tell clients what the law allows and what it does not. If no viable path exists, we say so. If one exists and it is narrow, we explain exactly what it requires.

  3. 03

    Motion Practice

    Many deportation defense cases turn on pretrial motions: motions to suppress, motions to terminate, motions to continue for preparation. We file them when the record supports it.

  4. 04

    Hearing or Appeal

    Depending on the stage of proceedings, we either appear at the immigration court hearing or take the case into the BIA and federal courts.

Begin the conversation

Call before the flight.

If you or someone you know has a removal order or is in immigration detention, contact us immediately. Deadlines in deportation proceedings are often measured in days, not weeks.

Request a Consultation(559) 555-0199

Direct line. Initial inquiries reviewed personally.

Call Direct(559) 555-0199