Receiving a Notice to Appear before immigration court is frightening, but it's not the end. The removal process is a legal process with procedural rights and multiple possible defenses. Many people who begin the process end up obtaining legal status.
Your Rights in the Removal Process
While you don't have a right to a court-appointed attorney in immigration court, you have the right to: be represented by an attorney (at your own cost), receive reasonable time to prepare your defense, present evidence and witnesses, appeal the immigration judge's decision, and have the removal order reviewed by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and federal courts.
Common Defenses
The most frequent defenses include: Cancellation of Removal, if you've been in the US 10 years with qualifying family members; Adjustment of Status, if you qualify for permanent residency; Asylum, if you fear persecution in your home country; Convention Against Torture; VAWA protection, if you were a domestic violence victim; and arguing you're not deportable, errors in the NTA, jurisdictional defects.
The Importance of an Immigration Attorney
Studies show immigrants with legal representation are 5-6 times more likely to obtain a favorable outcome than those who represent themselves. Immigration law is extremely complex, and a procedural error can result in deportation even when valid defenses exist.