A recent study by the University of Syracuse has found that the Houston federal court handles more immigration crime prosecutions than any other court in the country. The study showed that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas has prosecuted almost 23,000 cases just this year –far more than any other district court in the nation. Almost all of the work is done by a tiny office inside the Harris County Jail.
“Any time that we can get a criminal off the street; it doesn’t matter if it’s an illegal alien or a citizen we are making our streets safer for our public,” said Harris County Sheriff Lt. Michael Lindsay, “we are not trying to deport everybody, we are just trying to stop the crime.”
Unfortunately for those prosecuted though, the chances of a successful immigration crimes defense are slim. Only 4% of all people tried in these courts actually win their cases. If you or someone you know happens to be one of the 23,000 facing prosecution for immigration crimes this year, be sure you have the help of a top Houston criminal attorney like Tad Nelson. Without a skilled attorney, your chance of success in these trials is abysmal.
To learn more about the recent study, read the article on KHOU. Image Via O.Cosma [Flickr]
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