Articles by Alfredo Estrada
From Conditional Resident to 10-Year Green Card: Helping an Abuse Survivor Secure His Lawful Status
Many immigrants live with unnecessary fear because of delays, confusing government records, and past trauma. In some cases, a person may already have legal status but have no clear confirmation because their case has been pending for years or because USCIS has failed...
Alfredo Estrada on the Danger of “Fixing” an Asylum Application
Lessons from Matter of C-A-R-R- and Matter of M-A-F- For immigration practitioners, updating or correcting an asylum application often feels routine. A client remembers additional facts, a declaration is expanded, or counsel refines the legal theory after entering an...
Understanding Due Process in Immigration Proceedings and the Impact of the BIA’s Recent Ruling
In its recent ruling in Matter of A-M-Z-F-, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) addressed the important issue of whether parties in Immigration Court have the right to present closing arguments. The BIA held that such a right is not automatic, unless the party can...
Successfully Defended a Motion to Pretermit an Asylum Application
Victory in Immigration Court! Attorney Alfredo Estrada is thrilled to share that he successfully defended a motion to pretermit an asylum application by DHS in immigration court today. DHS had sought to deport his client to Uganda, where he would have faced severe...
Attorney Alfredo Estrada Secures Habeas Corpus Victory for Detained Immigrant in Federal Court
Earlier this year, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) issued a significant decision clarifying that Immigration Judges lack jurisdiction to conduct bond hearings under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) for noncitizens who were not inspected, admitted, or paroled into the United...
Attorney Alfredo Estrada Interviewed on WGN News
We are proud to share that Attorney Alfredo Estrada was recently interviewed by WGN News about his successful representation of an immigration client. Despite recent changes to immigration bond rules that made it more difficult than ever to obtain a bond, Attorney...
USCIS Memo PM-602-0187: What the New NTA Policy Means for Immigrants in 2025
On February 28, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued Policy Memorandum PM-602-0187, a sweeping update to its procedures for issuing Notices to Appear (NTAs). An NTA is a legal document that initiates removal (deportation) proceedings by...
Asylum Win for Senegalese Client with Religious Claim at Chicago EOIR – January 16, 2025
On January 16, 2025, Attorney Alfredo Estrada of Burke Costanza & Carberry LLP secured a significant victory for a Senegalese client at the Chicago Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). The case, centered on a religious persecution claim, resulted in the...
SCOTUS Hears Oral Arguments on Deportation Notice Requirements
On Monday, January 8, the Supreme Court heard consolidated oral arguments for Campos-Chavez v. Garland and Garland v. Singh. The two cases deal with the issue of whether an immigration court must enter an in absentia removal order...
Estrada Serving as Indiana State Bar Association Latino Committee Chair for 2024
Congratulations to Attorney Alfredo Estrada who is now serving as the Indiana State Bar Association Latino Committee Chair for 2024. In this role he will assist the Indiana State Bar Association entail working with me to set some strategic goals and activities for the...
Review of the State Department’s Stateside Visa Renewal Pilot
The Department of State (DOS) has officially initiated the long-anticipated stateside visa renewal pilot, scheduled to initiate on January 29, 2024, and conclude on April 1, 2024. The hope is that the program will have the potential to improve delays in consular...
Navigating the Family Expedited Removal Management (FERM) Program: A Legal Perspective for Families
In the ever-evolving landscape of immigration policies, one significant development is the Department of Homeland Security's Family Expedited Removal Management (FERM) program. Attorney Alfredo Estrada, and the Immigration Law Center at BCC, find it imperative to shed...