Florida Board Certified in Immigration & Nationality Law (Florida Bar Member #7439). When ICE detains a loved one or an NTA arrives in the mail, every hour matters. We are two miles from the Orlando Immigration Court at 3535 Lawton Road, and we have defended Central Florida residents in removal proceedings since 1996.
Removal (deportation) defense means fighting to stay in the United States once the government has started a case against you in immigration court. If ICE has detained a family member or a Notice to Appear has arrived, the first moves are time-sensitive: locate the person, request a bond hearing, and identify which forms of relief apply. Gustavo Z. Vargas, our Florida Board Certified immigration attorney, has defended Central Florida residents before the Orlando Immigration Court since 1996.
2026 enforcement: what we are seeing in Orlando
Enforcement activity has picked up sharply across Central Florida. We are seeing more arrests at courthouses and probation check-ins, more detainers lodged on people booked into county jails, and faster transfers out of state before families even know where their relative has been taken. Some respondents who had quiet cases for years are suddenly back on the docket. The practical lesson from the cases in front of us right now: do not wait for the next hearing notice to get a lawyer involved. The earlier we are retained, the more we can do — locate a detained client, file for bond, and preserve relief before a deadline quietly passes. If you are a DACA recipient facing removal, the analysis is different again, and we walk through it below.
What removal proceedings look like
Removal cases begin with a Notice to Appear (Form I-862) charging you with being removable from the United States. The case is adjudicated by an immigration judge in the immigration court that has jurisdiction over your residence — for Central Florida, that is the Orlando Immigration Court at 3535 Lawton Road. The national immigration court backlog passed 3.5 million pending cases in 2024 (TRAC Immigration), which is part of why merits hearings in Orlando are now commonly scheduled 1–3 years after master calendar.
The single biggest predictor of outcome in removal proceedings is whether you have a lawyer. The New York Immigrant Representation Study found that detained respondents with counsel were up to five times more likely to win relief than those who appeared pro se. We have defended Central Florida residents in front of the Orlando court since 1996, and we regularly represent clients across the I-4 corridor, including deportation defense in Lakeland and Polk County.
Cases proceed through:
- Master calendar hearings — short procedural appearances where you plead to the charges, identify defenses, and set deadlines.
- Individual (merits) hearings — full evidentiary hearings on whatever defenses you have raised: cancellation of removal, asylum, withholding of removal, adjustment of status, voluntary departure, etc. Witnesses testify; documents are introduced; the government cross-examines.
- Decision — the judge grants relief, denies, or issues a final order of removal.
- Appeal — to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) within 30 days, then potentially to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
For Central Florida residents, our deportation defense in Orlando page walks through how we handle these cases at the Lawton Road court — from bond to the merits hearing.
If a loved one is detained
Most ICE detainees from Central Florida are transferred to Krome Service Processing Center (Miami area), Glades County Detention Center, Baker County Detention Center, or Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia. Family often loses contact for 24–48 hours during transfer. We can locate your loved one via the ICE Online Detainee Locator and start gathering evidence immediately.
Most non-violent detainees are eligible for bond. We file a written motion as soon as we are retained, prepare evidence of community ties (employment letters, family relationships, lease, tax returns), and represent you at the bond hearing — usually within 5–10 days.
Defenses we pursue
- Cancellation of removal for permanent residents — for LPRs of 7+ years who meet specific criteria.
- Cancellation for non-LPRs — for non-residents of 10+ years showing exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to a U.S. citizen or LPR family member.
- Asylum, withholding of removal, and CAT protection — for those facing persecution or torture in their home country.
- Adjustment of status — when an underlying I-130 or I-140 makes a green card available even mid-proceeding.
- U-visa, T-visa, and VAWA — for crime victims, trafficking victims, and abused family members.
- Voluntary departure — leaving on your own terms preserves future eligibility better than a removal order.
- Motions to reopen — for in absentia orders or to correct ineffective prior counsel.
Talk to a Florida Board Certified Immigration Attorney
Free 30-minute consultation. No obligation. Confidential. Available in English or Spanish. Serving all of Central Florida from our Orlando office since 1996.
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How fast can you get a bond hearing?
Bond hearings can usually be scheduled within 5–10 days of detention. We file a written request immediately on retainer and prepare evidence of community ties, employment, family relationships, and lack of flight risk. Most non-violent detainees are eligible for bond, though there are categories of "mandatory detention" where bond is not available — we tell you upfront which category applies.
Can I still fight deportation if I have a criminal record?
Often yes, depending on the offense. Misdemeanors and many felonies leave avenues open: cancellation of removal for permanent residents, cancellation for non-LPRs, U-visas for crime victims, asylum, and voluntary departure. Convictions involving moral turpitude or aggravated felonies are harder but not always fatal. Bring all court records to the consultation.
I missed an immigration court hearing — what now?
You likely have an in absentia removal order. You have a limited window to file a motion to reopen — typically 180 days for exceptional circumstances, or anytime for lack of proper notice or ineffective assistance of prior counsel. Time is critical; call us as soon as you realize what happened.
What if my loved one was transferred to Stewart in Georgia?
Many ICE detainees from Central Florida end up at Stewart Detention Center (Lumpkin, GA) or Krome (Miami area). We handle bond hearings remotely via video link from those facilities and coordinate the merits case in Orlando. Out-of-state detention is very common; we do this regularly.
Will I be deported during my case?
If you have a pending case before the immigration court and you are not detained, you generally cannot be removed until the judge issues a final order and any appeals are exhausted. After a final order of removal, you have 30 days to appeal to the BIA, and after that, federal Circuit Court review is possible.
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