Terezakis Law Firm, PLLC

04/24/2026

Noncitizens with Criminal Convictions?
Summer Travel Outside U.S. Can Result in ICE Detention!

Noncitizens with criminal convictions who travel outside the U.S. risk being detained by ICE upon their return. Whether a person can be detained at the airport or border, upon their return to the U.S., depends on their immigration status and their arrest and conviction history. The rules governing these determinations are complicated. Certain convictions may result in detention and deportation for a lawful permanent resident, while other convictions will not. Certain convictions can lead to detention, loss of legal status, and deportation for people with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ("DACA"), but may not for those with Temporary Protected Status ("T.P.S.), or who are lawful permanent residents.

Every year we are contacted by desperate family members of someone detained by I.C.E. at J.F.K. Airport upon their return from a vacation or emergency travel outside of the U.S., as the result of their loved one's prior convictions — even decades old convictions. Often, the person is in shock, because despite having previously left and returned to the U.S. without incident, with that same criminal-immigration history, the person is now detained by I.C.E.

If you are not a U.S. citizen, and plan on traveling outside the U.S. this summer, have an attorney familiar with the interplay between criminal and immigration law evaluate your history, and provide you a written assessment of the risks you may face if you travel outside the U.S.. Even individuals whose criminal charges were dismissed face a risk of detention, and can benefit from legal guidance on how best to handle questioning by ICE at the airport.
If you or your loved one are not citizens of the U.S., and plan on traveling outside the U.S., take the time now to schedule a consultation and evaluation. It may save you the misery of detention in a distant ICE facility, and the cost of fighting your deportation-removal. Call us today to schedule your consultation with one of our experienced attorneys: (5 16) 742-3838.

04/13/2026

EXCEPTIONAL FIRM! EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS!
The Trump Administration has deliberately created unnecessary fear and uncertainty within the immigrant community. This fear is designed to make immigrants feel hopeless. It also, unfortunately, discourages them from fighting their deportation cases, or applying for immigration benefits to which they are entitled. With an experienced, knowledgeable, legal Team by your side, success is still possible!
Recent wins from our office include:
• The granting of a fraud waiver for a client whose prior attorneys were unsuccessful. We have filed for the client to become a lawful permanent resident.
• A long-term permanent resident was detained at the airport, and then released after returning from a trip outside the U.S. He was placed in removal proceedings due to his multiple criminal convictions. Our legal arguments convinced the Immigration Judge to terminate his removal proceedings. Today, we are helping him move forward with his application to become a U.S. citizen.
• A client, brought to the U.S. as an infant, and who for many years feared applying to naturalize due to his previous criminal convictions, had his citizenship application approved, and is now scheduled for his oath ceremony!
• Our firm recently vacated criminal convictions for two (2) of our clients, in two separate counties, which convictions had rendered them deportable.
• After a lengthy period of litigation, our long-term lawful permanent resident client, convicted of an aggravated felony, was granted Withholding of Removal.
Don’t be afraid. If you need assistance with immigration or criminal defense matters, contact our firm today at 170 Old Country Road, Mineola, NY, or call (516) 742-3838 to schedule your consultation. Our experienced team is here to help you!

03/02/2026

DMV’S NEW POINT SYSTEM FOR MOVING VIOLATIONS MEANS INCREASED RISK OF LICENSE SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION!!!
https://www.nassaudefender.com/blog/2026/february/dmv-s-new-point-system-for-moving-violations-mea/

01/09/2026

THE BOOT IS ON OUR NECK, AND THE GUN IS AT OUR HEAD...
In our nation, the government is, theoretically, subservient and accountable to, the people. It has certain specified, limited, and enumerated powers. It is subject to the restrictions of the Constitution. It is not an absolute power unto itself. It is prohibited from arbitrarily, and without Due Process, depriving anyone of their life.
In our free society, police, ICE and other agents of the government are only justified in stopping us from going about our affairs if they have reasonable cause to believe we have committed a crime. There has been no claim Ms. Good was suspected of having committed any crime. There was no legal basis for the officers to attempt to stop her, and forcibly open her car door: that was unlawful and unjustified. She was entirely within her rights to drive away, as she attempted to do. As former Supreme Court Justice Brandeis described it:
"[The Founding Fathers] conferred, as against the Government, the right to be let alone – the most comprehensive of rights, and the right most valued by civilized men. To protect that right, every unjustifiable intrusion by the Government upon the privacy of the individual, whatever the means employed, must be deemed a violation of the Fourth Amendment."
The Officers had no legal basis to attempt to impede Ms. Good or prevent her from leaving, just as the officer who fired his gun - based upon the video evidence - had no reason to believe his life or anyone else's was in danger. With their masks, and lack of badge numbers displayed upon their uniforms, and with incitement from the White House, ICE has become intoxicated with power. Ms. Good's ex*****on was not an isolated event. It is part of a far broader campaign by ICE of deliberate disrespect and disregard for our Constitutional rights. They are a militarized force that seeks to occupy our neighborhoods, and to intimidate and brutalize those who protest their misconduct.
The officer who pulled the trigger, and ultimately this administration, must be held accountable. This administration's wall of lies and mischaracterization of the events surrounding this shooting is rebutted by the video evidence we can see for ourselves. Their attempts to justify this shooting, and the shameless lies they tell us in order to do so, are further evidence of their complicity in, and support for, ICE's pattern of unjustified use of force, in this case, deadly force. ICE, at the direction of president Trump and Ms. Noem, are intentionally seeking to intimidate our fellow citizens and to terrorize us through the unjustified and unlawful use of violence. The boot is on our neck and the gun is at our head. We cannot permit this campaign of terror to continue in our nation. ICE, and this administration, must be held to account.

01/01/2026

11/27/2025

Terezakis Law Firm wishes you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving! May your day be filled with love, gratitude, and special moments with the ones you cherish most.

Les deseamos a usted y a su familia un Feliz Día de Acción de Gracias. ¡Que su día esté lleno de amor, gratitud y momentos especiales con aquellos que más aprecia!

11/08/2025

07/04/2024

“It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt.”
John Philpot Curran, Irish attorney (1750-1817)

July 4th: A time for reflection, not just beaches & barbecues.
Terezakis Law Firm, PLLC

01/13/2023

New Year’s Resolution: Apply to “Naturalize” & Become a U.S. Citizen!

If you’re a lawful permanent resident, or “green card” holder, a great way to start your New Year is by applying to become a U.S. citizen, or by encouraging a family member, or a friend, to do so. Important benefits of “naturalizing”, include: the ability to live outside the U.S. for extended periods without losing status; insulation from deportation; preferential treatment in petitioning for family members to become U.S. residents; and the right to vote in U.S. elections.

To naturalize, you must:

1. Be at least 18 years old when filing your Application for Naturalization, Form N-400;

2. Be a permanent resident for at least 5 years, or 3 years if married to a U.S. citizen;

3. Have resided in the U.S. for at least half of the 5 or 3 year period needed to naturalize;

4. Have paid your taxes;

5. Show you’re a person of good moral character, and have no disqualifying convictions;

6. Demonstrate the ability to understand, speak and write basic English; and

7. Pass a simple test showing knowledge of U.S. history and government.

The Terezakis Law Firm, PLLC, has helped many immigrants become U.S. citizens, even those with criminal convictions. If you, a friend, or family member would like to apply to naturalize, call us at: (516) 742-3838 to schedule a consultation! Our experienced team is here to help you!