Juvenile Criminal
Defense Services
Juvenile Criminal
Defense Services
Adult Criminal
Defense Services
Immigration Law
"The importance of accurate legal advice for noncitizens accused of crimes has never been more important."
- United States Supreme Court
Specialized Immigration Counsel
Public defender immigration attorneys help keep families together by advising non-citizen clients on how criminal cases affect immigration status and relief, and by guiding plea decisions. The Supreme Court has called plea bargaining a “critical phase” and requires counsel to warn noncitizen clients about deportation risk (Padilla v. Kentucky, 2010). At the Yolo County Public Defender’s Office, a dedicated Padilla attorney specializing in immigration law.
Immigration Advocacy in Holistic Defense
​Immigration advice is central to the Yolo County Public Defender’s Office’s practice of Holistic Defense, as clients’ needs often exceed direct representation in criminal court. Criminal convictions can pose serious, and at times, life-long immigration consequences for noncitizens. The immigration attorney is instrumental in advising clients of the immigration consequences of their criminal charges and crafting proposed resolutions of those charges to help our clients avoid adverse immigration consequences. By law, prosecutors are mandated to consider such consequences as part of plea negotiations, making our immigration attorney’s role even more critical for our noncitizen clients.
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The Yolo County Public Defender’s Office is also committed to collaborating with the local immigration community to mitigate the impact of criminal convictions on Yolo County’s immigrant population. Our Immigration Unit is available to assist legal service providers and residents in evaluating the potential and actual adverse immigration consequences of prior criminal convictions and exploring whether post-conviction relief might help individuals qualify for immigration benefits such as Adjustment of Status, LPR and Non-LPR Cancellation of Removal, and Naturalization.
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Through specialized legal support, public defender immigration attorneys ensure that families facing the dual challenges of the criminal and immigration systems have the best chance of staying together. For more information on how the Immigration Unit can assist you, please contact Apurva Behal at Apurva.Behal@YoloCounty.gov.