What to tell my defense lawyer

Tell your lawyer privately, at your first meeting

I am not a U.S. citizen.
My status now: none / DACA / TPS / visa / green card / other: ____________
Country of birth: ____________ Date I first came to the U.S.: ____________
How I entered: with a visa or other papers / without inspection / not sure
A number, if I have one: A ____________
Ever been in immigration court, deported or turned back at the border? ____________
Other arrests, citations or convictions, in any state or country: ____________
Any applications pending or planned (DACA renewal, green card, citizenship): ____________
My family here and their status: ____________
What matters most to me: staying in the U.S. / a green card or citizenship later / getting out fast / other: ____________

Ask your lawyer

Has ICE asked the jail about me? Should my family pay bail now, or wait?
What are the immigration effects of this exact plea for my status?
Is it a crime involving moral turpitude, an aggravated felony, a drug offense or a domestic violence offense for immigration?
Can any sentence be 364 days or less?
Is there a safer plea or a diversion that does not need a guilty plea?
Will you talk with an immigration lawyer about my case?

Remember

Stay silent with police, jail staff and ICE. Say: "I want to remain silent. I want a lawyer."
I can refuse an ICE interview in jail.
Don't sign immigration papers. Don't agree to leave the country without a lawyer.
Ask the judge for more time if I need it after the immigration warning.

From Arrests Records and Immigration Complete Guide. Facts checked October 21, 2026. Free information, not legal or medical advice.

After you print