Our office’s mission is to provide zealous representation and to fight for equal justice for the indigent accused. In order to enact that mission, we must pay close attention to the circumstances and concerns of each of our clients. This is especially true for our immigrant clients because criminal proceedings can trigger very severe immigration consequences. There are no one-size-fits-all solutions, but it is our constitutional duty as criminal defense attorneys to advise our clients of the actual and potential immigration consequences that will result from their charges.
For this reason, we have compiled these resources for public defenders and criminal defense attorneys in the state of Tennessee to become familiar with the intersection of our state’s criminal legal system and the federal immigration system. We have also compiled resources for immigrants facing criminal charges since their questions and concerns often differ from those of our citizen clients. We hope these resources will help non-citizen defendants and their attorneys navigate criminal proceedings and find solutions that minimize immigration consequences.
Matthew J. Schafer
Immigration Team Lead
Phone: (615)-862-5154
Email: MatthewJSchafer@jisnashville.gov