Gracie Johnson Law · Compton, CA

Deportation Defense Attorney in Long Beach, CA

Bilingual immigration attorney serving Long Beach and South Los Angeles. Office at 308 N Wilmington Ave, Compton. Call for an initial consultation.

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CA Bar #276536 VerifiedCertified Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law, State Bar of CaliforniaLicensed CA attorney, not a notario

Attorney Gracie Johnson, immigration attorney, Compton CA

Atty. Gracie Johnson

Serving LA County, USCIS and Immigration Court

Family, DACA, Deportation, Asylum, Citizenship

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We respond the same business day

Quick Answer

A deportation defense attorney in Long Beach represents people facing removal proceedings at the Los Angeles Immigration Court or detained at Adelanto. Gracie Johnson Law handles emergency bond hearings, master calendar hearings, individual merits hearings, and BIA appeals. Call (310) 554-4630 immediately if you or a family member has received a Notice to Appear or has been detained by ICE.

Key Facts

Most Long Beach removal cases are heard at the LA Immigration Court (606 S Olive Street).
Detained Long Beach cases may be heard at Adelanto Immigration Court (San Bernardino County).
Emergency bond hearings can sometimes secure release within days; do not wait to retain counsel.
Possible defenses include cancellation of removal, asylum, withholding of removal, U visa, VAWA, and adjustment of status.
A final removal order can sometimes be reopened with a motion to reopen, BIA appeal, or Ninth Circuit petition.

If you or a family member in Long Beach has received a Notice to Appear, a removal order, or has been detained by ICE, you need an experienced deportation defense attorney immediately. Gracie Johnson Law has represented clients throughout the South LA region in removal proceedings before the Los Angeles Immigration Court, and Attorney Gracie Johnson is a licensed California immigration attorney with experience before the BIA and the Ninth Circuit.

About Our Long Beach Service Area

Drive to Our Office

20 minutes · 9 miles

Population

456,000+

Hispanic / Latino

44%

Spanish-Speaking Households

35%

Long Beach is the seventh largest city in California with one of the most diverse immigrant populations on the West Coast. Our Compton office serves Long Beach families with the full range of immigration services, including the unique humanitarian and asylum needs of the Cambodian community.

Top neighborhoods we serve: Downtown Long Beach, North Long Beach, Cambodia Town, Wrigley, Belmont Shore.

Questions? Call our office directly.

Bilingual service in English and Spanish.

When someone faces deportation, the clock starts immediately. Immigration court moves fast, the stakes are high, and the government shows up with an attorney ready to argue for removal. You are not assigned a public defender in immigration court. You need your own lawyer, and you need one now.

Gracie Johnson Law provides aggressive deportation defense in Los Angeles immigration courts. We represent clients who have received a Notice to Appear (NTA), clients held by ICE under immigration detainers, clients with prior deportation orders, and clients who have been detained at airports or border crossings. We move fast and fight hard.

There are many possible defenses to deportation, and which applies to you depends on the facts of your case. Our firm analyzes every angle: Cancellation of Removal for non-permanent residents (requiring 10 years of presence, good moral character, and proof of exceptional hardship to a qualifying family member), Cancellation of Removal for permanent residents (requiring 7 years of residence and 5 years as a green card holder), Asylum and Withholding of Removal, Convention Against Torture protections, Adjustment of Status, and Voluntary Departure as a last resort to preserve the ability to legally re-enter in the future.

Time is absolutely critical in deportation cases. If your family member has been detained by ICE, do not wait even one day before seeking legal help. We move quickly to locate detained individuals using the ICE Detainee Locator, determine if they are eligible for bond, prepare a compelling bond hearing argument to secure their release as soon as possible, and build their full defense strategy for immigration court hearings.

Even if you have a final order of removal, there may still be options. We can file motions to reopen, motions to reconsider, and appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) or federal circuit courts. A removal order is not always the end of the road, but you need a skilled attorney to find the path forward. Call us immediately. Emergency consultations are available.

Gracie Johnson Law provides deportation defense for immigrants throughout the greater Los Angeles area, including Compton, Watts, Lynwood, Huntington Park, Bell, Maywood, South Gate, and beyond. We understand the profound human cost of removal, separated families, interrupted lives, lost futures. We take every deportation case personally, and we fight with everything we have to keep families together and allow our clients to continue contributing to the communities they love.

How a Deportation Defense Attorney Case Works for Long Beach Residents

Removal proceedings can take anywhere from a few weeks (in detained cases) to several years (in non-detained cases) depending on the LA Immigration Court schedule and the relief being sought.

1
Emergency Case Review
If you have been detained or received a Notice to Appear, we move immediately. We review the charging document, identify any procedural defects, and file the appropriate notices and motions with the LA Immigration Court.
2
Bond Hearing (If Detained)
For clients held at Adelanto or Otay Mesa, we file for a bond hearing as soon as possible. We prepare the bond packet with letters of support, employment evidence, equities, and a clean criminal record where applicable, to argue for the lowest possible bond.
3
Master Calendar Hearing and Defense Strategy
At the master calendar hearing, we admit or deny the charges, designate the country of removal, and tell the immigration judge what relief we are pursuing: cancellation of removal, asylum, adjustment of status, voluntary departure, or another form of defense.
4
Individual Hearing and Decision
At your individual merits hearing, we present witnesses, specialist witness testimony where appropriate, and your own testimony. We argue your case in front of the immigration judge. If the judge rules in your favor, you are no longer subject to that removal order. If the result is unfavorable, we evaluate whether an appeal to the BIA or the Ninth Circuit is warranted.

Documents You'll Typically Need

Notice to Appear (NTA) and any subsequent court notices
All prior immigration paperwork (visa applications, prior DACA, work permits, etc.)
Identity documents and proof of presence in the US
Any criminal records, including dispositions for arrests and convictions
Tax returns for the past 10 years to prove continuous physical presence
Letters from family, employers, and community members documenting hardship

This is a general checklist. Every case is different and we will tell you exactly what is needed for yours during your initial consultation.

Where Long Beach Cases Are Heard

Los Angeles Immigration Court

606 S Olive St, 15th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90014 · (213) 894-2811

The Los Angeles Immigration Court is one of the busiest immigration courts in the United States. Almost every removal case in South Los Angeles, including cases originating in Compton, Watts, Lynwood, Carson, Long Beach, and the surrounding cities, is heard at this courthouse. Master calendar hearings, individual merits hearings, and bond hearings all take place at 606 S Olive Street in downtown LA.

Adelanto ICE Processing Center

10250 Rancho Rd, Adelanto, CA 92301

If a Compton or South LA resident is detained by ICE, they are most often transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in San Bernardino County, about 90 miles from downtown LA.

How We Handle These Cases

These are typical scenarios that illustrate our approach. They do not describe specific clients or promise any outcome.

Reviewed July 2026

What do we do if a family member is detained by ICE?

The first hours matter, so we locate the person through the detainee systems, get on the record as counsel, and evaluate bond eligibility immediately. Then we build the equities packet a judge weighs at a bond hearing: family ties, work history, community roots, medical needs. We prepare the family for each stage so they are never left guessing.

Read our in-depth guide →

What if I just found out there is an old removal order against me?

We obtain the complete court file first, because the right move depends entirely on what actually happened: whether notice was proper, what relief was available then, and what has changed since. Motions to reopen have strict standards and deadlines, so we assess honestly whether the case supports one before filing anything that could draw attention without a strong basis.

Read our in-depth guide →

Deportation Defense Attorney FAQ for Long Beach Residents

Common questions we hear from our clients in this area.

Long Beach does not have its own separate immigration court. Immigration cases for Long Beach residents are handled by the Los Angeles Immigration Court in downtown Los Angeles. The LA Immigration Court is one of the largest and most backlogged in the nation. Attorney Gracie Johnson appears regularly before the LA Immigration Court on behalf of Long Beach clients and knows how cases are scheduled and managed there. If you have received a Notice to Appear in Long Beach, call (310) 554-4630 immediately.

Yes. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enforces immigration law at ports of entry, including the Port of Long Beach and Long Beach Airport. If your family member was detained by CBP at or near the port, we can help identify where they are held, review the basis for their detention, and determine the best course of action. Depending on the circumstances, whether they arrived by sea, were working in the maritime industry, or were stopped in a vehicle inspection, the legal analysis differs. Call (310) 554-4630 immediately so we can begin locating and helping your family member.

Non-LPR cancellation of removal is a defense available only before an immigration judge. To qualify, you must show at least 10 years of continuous physical presence in the US, good moral character throughout that period, no disqualifying criminal convictions, and that your removal would cause exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to a qualifying US citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse, parent, or child. The hardship standard is demanding, and each case requires detailed documentation of the impact on your family. Attorney Gracie Johnson builds thorough cancellation cases for Long Beach clients. Call (310) 554-4630.

Yes. You can file a motion to change venue with the immigration court to transfer your case from the Los Angeles Immigration Court to another court, for example, if you have moved to a different state or if there are other reasons the transfer would serve the interests of justice. However, the decision is at the judge's discretion, and not all change of venue requests are granted. If you are seeking a venue transfer for your Long Beach case, Attorney Gracie Johnson can evaluate whether you have grounds and file the motion on your behalf. Call (310) 554-4630.

Do not wait. Try to locate their A-Number (Alien Registration Number) if they have one, then use the ICE Detainee Locator online or call us immediately. We can help locate them, determine if they qualify for bond, and represent them in a bond hearing to get them released as quickly as possible.

An NTA is a charging document that starts removal proceedings. It lists the reasons the government believes you should be removed from the US. Receiving an NTA does not mean you will be deported, it means you have the right to appear before an immigration judge to present your case.

It is a defense against deportation for certain non-permanent residents who have lived continuously in the US for at least 10 years, have good moral character, and whose US citizen or LPR spouse, parent, or child would suffer exceptional and extremely unusual hardship if they were deported.

No. An NTA is the beginning of a legal process, not a final outcome. Depending on your case's facts, you may be eligible for Cancellation of Removal, Asylum, Adjustment of Status, or other defenses. The outcome depends heavily on having strong legal representation.