Family Immigration Attorney Serving Paterson and Passaic County

Immigration Legal Services for Paterson Families

Paterson is home to one of the largest and most established immigrant communities in New Jersey. Families from across the country and the world have built lives there, and many face the same immigration challenges: a petition to bring a spouse or parent to the United States, a family member in removal proceedings, or a loved one detained by ICE and waiting for a bond hearing.

Strasser Asatrian LLC serves those families from our office in Ridgewood, Bergen County, approximately 15 miles from downtown Paterson. Attorney Harry Asatrian handles family-based petitions, adjustment of status, removal defense, immigration bond hearings, and federal habeas corpus petitions. This page explains how each of those matters works for Paterson and Passaic County families specifically: where the cases are heard, what courts and detention facilities are involved, and how to work with the firm.

The information on this page is general. It is not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an immigration attorney about the facts of your case.

Where Immigration Cases for Paterson Residents Are Heard

A family immigration petition filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is an administrative matter that can be handled from anywhere, but cases that reach immigration court or federal court have specific venues that families in Paterson need to know.

Immigration court. Removal proceedings, bond hearings, and most contested immigration court matters involving Paterson residents are heard by the Newark Immigration Court. The Newark Immigration Court handles the docket for New Jersey, covering both detained and non-detained cases. Hearings for detained individuals can be conducted in person at the Newark courthouse or by video teleconference from within the detention facility.

Federal district court. Habeas corpus petitions challenging the lawfulness of an immigration detention are filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. That court has jurisdiction over people detained at facilities within the district. For Paterson residents, this is the same court that handles immigration habeas petitions throughout New Jersey.

USCIS field office. Applications for immigration benefits that require an in-person appointment, such as biometrics and adjustment of status interviews, are handled at local USCIS field offices. The Newark Field Office serves northern New Jersey, including Passaic County. Petition filings themselves go to USCIS service centers and do not require in-person appearances.

Immigration Detention: Elizabeth and Delaney Hall

When a family member is detained by ICE, the first question is where they are being held. People detained in northern New Jersey are typically taken to one of two main facilities: the Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility in Elizabeth, or Delaney Hall in Newark. Both are within roughly an hour of Paterson by car.

ICE also transfers detainees to out-of-state facilities with some regularity, particularly when New Jersey facilities are at capacity. If a family member was just detained and does not appear in the ICE detainee locator at locator.ice.gov, the locator can lag 24 to 48 hours after a new arrest. You will need the person's full legal name, country of birth, and if available, their nine-digit A-number. Call the ICE field office directly if the locator shows no results.

Our page on what to do when a family member is detained by ICE covers the first 24 hours: how to locate the person, what information to gather before calling an attorney, and what happens next in the New Jersey detention system.

Family-Based Immigration Petitions

Family-based immigration is the most common pathway to a green card for families in Paterson. U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents may petition for qualifying family members, provided they meet the income and other eligibility requirements. The process divides into two groups based on the relationship.

Immediate relative petitions are available to U.S. citizens petitioning for a spouse, an unmarried child under 21, or a parent. There is no annual numerical cap on immediate relative visas. Once the I-130 petition is approved and the intending immigrant is admissible, a visa is available without waiting.

Family preference categories cover other relationships: unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens, spouses and unmarried children of lawful permanent residents, married children of U.S. citizens, and siblings of U.S. citizens. These categories are subject to annual numerical limits and per-country caps, which means waiting times can range from months to many years depending on the relationship and the applicant's country of birth.

For family members already in the United States, adjustment of status allows them to apply for a green card without leaving the country by filing Form I-485. We prepare the complete adjustment packet, including concurrent applications for work authorization (Form I-765) and travel documents (Form I-131), biometrics scheduling, and interview preparation.

For family members abroad, consular processing moves the case through a U.S. consulate in the person's home country. We prepare the DS-260 immigrant visa application, coordinate document submission with the National Visa Center, and prepare clients for the consular interview. Where a family member has a prior removal order, an unlawful presence bar, or another potential ground of inadmissibility, we evaluate whether a waiver is available and handle the full waiver process.

Our family immigration page provides a full explanation of each category, the adjustment and consular processing pathways, and the I-751 process for removing conditions on conditional residence.

Removal Defense

A family member in removal proceedings faces a contested hearing before an immigration judge, who decides whether the person can remain in the United States or must be removed. Removal proceedings can begin because of an expired visa, a prior order, a criminal charge, or an encounter with ICE. The Notice to Appear, the charging document that initiates removal proceedings, sets out the government's theory of removability.

Defense in removal proceedings requires examining whether the charges are legally correct, what forms of relief are available, and how to present them to the immigration judge. Relief may include cancellation of removal, adjustment of status, asylum, or voluntary departure, depending on the person's history and circumstances. Attorney Harry Asatrian handles removal defense before the Newark Immigration Court, including bond hearings for detained clients whose removal cases are ongoing.

Bond Hearings for Detained Family Members

If a family member has been detained by ICE and placed in removal proceedings, a bond hearing before an immigration judge is often the fastest path to release while the case continues. At a bond hearing, the attorney presents evidence that the detained person is not a flight risk and not a danger to the community. The detained person carries the burden of showing both. If the judge is persuaded, the judge sets a bond amount; once that bond is paid, the person is released from custody while the removal case proceeds.

Not everyone in immigration detention qualifies for a bond hearing. People held under the mandatory detention statute, 8 U.S.C. section 1226(c), due to certain criminal convictions are generally not entitled to a bond hearing in immigration court. The first step is always determining the legal authority under which the government is holding the person, because that determines what options exist.

Our page on immigration bond hearings in New Jersey explains the full bond hearing process, what evidence carries the most weight, what bond amounts typically look like, and what happens when a bond is set at an amount the family cannot pay.

Habeas Corpus: When Immigration Court Cannot Help

For detained people who are not entitled to a bond hearing in immigration court, or whose detention has become prolonged without a lawful path to release, a habeas corpus petition in federal district court is one of the few remedies that can reach the detention directly. A petition under 28 U.S.C. section 2241 asks a federal judge to review whether the detention is lawful and, if not, to order a bond hearing or release.

This is a separate proceeding from anything in immigration court, conducted before a federal district judge under a different legal framework. It is not available in every case, but in cases where immigration court cannot provide relief, it is sometimes the remaining avenue. Our page on habeas corpus and immigration detention explains when this remedy applies and how the federal court process works in the District of New Jersey.

Language Access

The firm provides services in English and Spanish. If you or a family member are more comfortable communicating in Spanish, you are welcome to consult in Spanish. For languages other than English or Spanish, please call the office to discuss what arrangements can be made.

Getting to Our Office From Paterson

The office is at 72 South Maple Avenue, 1st Floor, Ridgewood, NJ 07450. From downtown Paterson, the drive is approximately 15 miles and typically takes 25 to 35 minutes depending on traffic. Street parking is available near the office.

Phone and video consultations are available for clients who prefer not to come in person. An in-person meeting is not required to begin a case or to have a confidential consultation. Call (973) 735-2716 or use the contact form to schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you take clients from Paterson and Passaic County, or only from Ridgewood?

We serve clients throughout northern New Jersey, including Paterson and Passaic County. Our office is in Ridgewood, and we offer phone and video consultations for clients who cannot come in person. Distance is not a barrier to representation.

What family immigration cases do you handle for Paterson families?

We handle the full range of family-based immigration matters: immediate relative petitions for spouses, children, and parents; family preference petitions; adjustment of status for people already in the United States; consular processing for family members abroad; I-751 petitions to remove conditions on residence; and unlawful presence waivers when a family member faces a bar to reentry.

My family member was detained by ICE. Where will the bond hearing take place?

For people detained at the Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility or Delaney Hall in Newark, bond hearings are typically held by immigration judges at the Newark Immigration Court, or by video teleconference from within the facility. Attorney Harry Asatrian handles bond hearings before the Newark Immigration Court and at the Elizabeth Detained Docket.

What is the difference between a bond hearing and a habeas corpus petition?

A bond hearing is a proceeding before an immigration judge where a detained person asks to be released on bond while their immigration case continues. A habeas corpus petition is a filing in federal district court that challenges the lawfulness of the detention itself. They are different proceedings before different courts. When immigration court cannot hold a bond hearing, federal court may still be an option.

How far is your Ridgewood office from Paterson?

The office at 72 South Maple Avenue, Ridgewood is approximately 15 miles from downtown Paterson, typically 25 to 35 minutes by car depending on traffic. Phone and video consultations are also available, so an in-person visit is not required to begin a case or to have a confidential consultation.

Do you offer consultations in Spanish?

Yes. The firm provides services in English and Spanish. If you or a family member communicate more comfortably in Spanish, you are welcome to consult in Spanish.

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances. Nothing on this page is legal advice for your specific situation.

Contact the Firm

Harry Asatrian represents families in Paterson and across Passaic County in family immigration matters, removal defense, and immigration detention proceedings. Call (973) 735-2716 or use the contact form. If a family member is detained now, call rather than write.