- Criminal DefenseMs. Newman represents refugees who are seeking asylum or withholding of removal before the Immigration Judge. Ms. Newman is recognized for her expertise and professionalism in representing applicants seeking cancellation of removal, a special form of relief from deportation available to undocumented persons who have lived in the US for more than 10 years, have established good moral character, and who have certain qualifying relatives who will suffer exceptional hardship if the applicant is deported. Ms. Newman also represents lawful permanent residents who are in removal proceedings and who are seeking waivers due to criminal convictions, including 212h and 212c waivers, and cancellation of removal for permanent residents. As an immigration attorney, Ms. Newman frequently consults with criminal defense specialists to minimize the immigration effects of criminal convictions for clients who are in criminal court proceedings, as well as to obtain post-conviction relief for her clients who are in immigration court proceedings.
- Citizenship and NaturalizationCitizenship & Naturalization: Naturalization Applications, Child Citizenship Act of 2000, Expedited Naturalization of Children, Automatic Acquisition of Citizenship by Children through Parents’ Naturalization
- Family ImmigrationMs. Newman’s practice focuses on family-based immigration, including adjustment of status before the Department of Homeland Security and the Immigration Courts, consular processing of fiancé(e)s, spouses and children, and waivers of inadmissibility due to unlawful presence in the United States (I-601 waivers). Ms. Newman believes the number one goal of United States immigration law should be to keep families together. To achieve this important goal, she believes that immigration law should be reformed to create avenues of legalization for undocumented parents, spouses and children of lawful immigrants and U.S. citizens, as well as shortening the wait for immigrant processing of relatives outside the United States.
- Green Cards
- Family VisasSome beneficiaries who are living in the United States may be eligible to apply for their green cards without leaving the country. These applicants include some who originally came into the United States lawfully with visas and others who qualify under former “Section 245(i)” for whom immigrant visa petitions were filed before April 30, 2001. Other beneficiaries of family visa petitions will be required to return to the home country for an interview in the US Embassy or Consulate (consular processing) before being approved for permanent resident status. Applicants who must leave the country to apply may require special approval of hardship waivers to excuse prior unlawful presence or other immigration violations before they can return to the United States
- Removal DefenseA significant portion of Ms. Newman’s immigration practice is dedicated to defense of persons in removal proceedings. Undocumented immigrants may find themselves in deportation and removal proceedings as a result of arrest by police or Border Patrol officers, work-place raids by ICE, or referral of their asylum applications to the Immigration Judge by the Asylum Office. Even lawful permanent residents of the United States may be placed into removal proceedings as a result of criminal convictions or forgetting to file an application to remove conditions on their permanent resident status.