Cancellation of Removal (for LPRs):

If you have a green card but have committed a crime or otherwise have been placed into removal proceedings, find a lawyer immediately. You may qualify for Cancellation of Removal.

The criteria are difficult to meet, but they include the following three basic requirements: (1) living in the US for 7 years since being legally admitted; (2) living for 5 years with permanent residence (green card) before committing a crime or getting into removal proceedings; and (3) never having been convicted of an “aggravated felony” for immigration purposes.

Cancellation of Removal (for Non-LPRs):

If you don’t have a green card or are undocumented, the law provides one way to avoid deportation, but it applies only in the rarest of instances.

Among other requirements, the applicant must show that he/she has lived in the US for 10 years and that his/her deportation would cause “exceptional and extremely unusual hardship” to the his/her spouse, child, or parent who is a United States Citizen or permanent resident. Never apply for this without speaking to an experienced immigration attorney.