Criminal Immigration Defense in Philadelphia

Federal Court Capability When Your Immigration Status Is on the Line

A criminal conviction doesn’t have to be recent to put your immigration status at risk. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, charges, guilty pleas, and old convictions can all trigger removal proceedings regardless of how long you’ve lived in the U.S. or whether you hold a green card, a visa, or another lawful status. 

At Henry & Grogan, partners Michael S. Henry and Devin E. Grogan handle criminal immigration defense for noncitizens in Philadelphia and before immigration courts and USCIS offices nationwide. What sets us apart is our experience handling high-stakes immigration cases and securing life-changing outcomes. Devin E. Grogan has obtained emergency injunctions in federal court to prevent deportation, and Michael S. Henry has successfully overturned state regulations through appellate advocacy. Together, they’ve argued before the Board of Immigration Appeals and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and secured dismissals, reversals, and emergency stays of deportation. 

Turn to Henry & Grogan for the experience-backed representation you deserve. Free initial consultations are available, and representation is provided at affordable rates.

If you or a family member is facing removal proceedings connected to a criminal matter, don’t wait. Call (215) 568-1500 or contact us to schedule your free consultation.

What Criminal Charges Put Immigration Status at Risk?

Two primary legal categories under the INA can render noncitizens deportable. 

• Aggravated felonies: An aggravated felony conviction bars access to most forms of relief from removal, including asylum and cancellation of removal, and can result in mandatory detention without bond.
• Crimes involving moral turpitude (CIMT): This is a broad, case-law-defined category with no comprehensive statutory list. It can include fraud, theft, certain assault offenses, and other offenses courts find inherently base or depraved. 

Even a misdemeanor can carry serious immigration consequences, and a guilty plea can trigger removal proceedings before a sentence is served.

Henry & Grogan defends noncitizens charged with or convicted of the following offense types:

• Drug offenses, including trafficking and possession with intent to distribute
• Sexual offenses
• Assault and battery
• Theft
• Fraud
• Credit card fraud

Relief Options in Criminal Removal Cases

A criminal charge or conviction doesn’t automatically end the fight. The right strategy depends on the specific offense, your immigration history, and how far proceedings have advanced. Your options may include any of the following.

Cancellation of Removal

A lawful permanent resident who has held that status for at least five years, has resided continuously in the United States for at least seven years, and has not been convicted of an aggravated felony may be eligible to request cancellation of removal under INA section 240A(a). Non-LPR cancellation under section 240A(b) requires 10 years of continuous presence, good moral character, and proof that removal would cause exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to a qualifying U.S. citizen or LPR spouse, parent, or child. Eligibility for both forms of relief depends on the specific facts of the case and is subject to judicial discretion.

Emergency Stays, Injunctions & Federal Petitions

An emergency stay of deportation can halt removal while an appeal or federal petition is pending. This is a time-sensitive remedy. Devin Grogan has obtained emergency injunctions in federal court to prevent deportation, an option that requires immediate action and federal litigation experience. Our firm can also file habeas corpus petitions in federal court to secure the release of detained immigrants when bond through the immigration court isn’t an available or adequate remedy.

BIA Appeals & Third Circuit Arguments

When an immigration judge rules against a client, the case doesn’t have to stop there. Henry & Grogan argues appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals and, when appropriate, before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. We have obtained dismissals and reversals at both levels.

Post-Conviction Relief & Other Defenses

Vacating or modifying a criminal conviction can sometimes eliminate the immigration consequences of that conviction. Where deportation would expose a client to persecution or torture in their home country, withholding of removal or relief under the Convention Against Torture may be available even after a serious conviction. The firm evaluates these and other defenses as part of a criminal immigration case review.

What Henry & Grogan Brings to Philadelphia Criminal Immigration Cases

Michael S. Henry has been practicing law since graduating from Temple University Law School in 1987. He is admitted in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, before the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania and the District of New Jersey, and before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Devin E. Grogan has been practicing immigration law since 2017, is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the American Bar Association, and is also admitted before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. She has personally attended hundreds of USCIS interviews on behalf of clients, which supports thorough client preparation.

The firm represents clients before immigration courts and USCIS offices across the country, not only in the Philadelphia area. Initial consultations are free, and representation is provided at rates designed to make quality criminal immigration defense accessible. When proceedings stall or an erroneous denial needs to be challenged, our firm can pursue appropriate actions rather than treating the immigration court as the final word.

Start With a Free Consultation

Criminal immigration proceedings move quickly, and relief options are often time-sensitive. The sooner you speak with an attorney, the more options may be available to you. Henry & Grogan represents clients facing removal proceedings connected to criminal matters in Philadelphia and nationwide.

Free consultations are available. Don’t delay in protecting your right to stay in the U.S.

Contact us online or call (215) 568-1500 to schedule your free consultation with our criminal immigration defense attorneys in Philadelphia. 

Not sure where to start? Your first conversation with us costs nothing.

Free Consultation