Sixth Circuit Chief Judge Randy Rosenbaum reversed a 1995 order that required probation officers in the six counties of the Sixth Circuit to contact the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service within one week of a foreign-born defendant’s conviction or sentence to probation or conditional discharge. The Illinois Sixth Judicial Circuit Court is a trial court in Illinois that presides over the counties of Champaign, DeWitt, Douglas, Macon, Moultrie and Piatt.
“The country was in a different place 25 years ago with regard to immigration. The laws and policies have changed such that we shouldn’t be the only circuit to disclose this information,” Rosenbaum said in the News-Gazette. There are 102 counties in Illinois; most of the 96 other counties already have ended any requirement for probation officers to report convictions of foreign-born defendants to INS except in the cases of terrorism or violent crimes.
Rosenbaum said the Illinois Probation and Probation Officers Act states that in general, probation records are not public and their contents shall not be divulged except by court order. In April, DHS issued new guidance that limits circumstances in which civil immigration enforcement can happen in or near a courthouse. DHS oversees ICE and CBP.
Non-citizens – including Green Card holders – who face criminal charges also can have serious immigration penalties, including deportation. Often called crimmigration, if you are an immigrant who is charged with a crime, it is important to hire an attorney who understands the immigration consequences of criminal convictions.
You can protect your family and your American Dream by consulting an experienced crimmigration lawyer with experience in both immigration law and criminal defense. Even if you are found innocent of the criminal charges, without an experienced crimmigration lawyer on your side, your American Dream can be at risk.
If you or a loved one are an immigrant and are charged with a crime, call an attorney experienced in both criminal and immigration law. Our Illinois crimmigration attorneys and deportation defense lawyers at Godoy Law Office practice criminal defense and immigration law. Call the crimmigration lawyers at 630-912-0322.
