Corona Immigration Lawyers

Corona Immigration Lawyers

Thanks for visiting Spodek Law Group – a second-generation law firm managed by Todd Spodek. We have over 50 years of combined experience representing immigrants throughout Queens. If you’re here, it’s because you’re dealing with ICE raids, family petitions stuck in processing, deportation proceedings, or asylum applications.

Corona has one of the most heavily populated Latin American immigrant communities in Queens – Ecuadorians, Colombians, Dominicans who’ve built lives here along Roosevelt Avenue, around Corona Plaza, in the neighborhoods near the 7 train. Half of Queens residents were born in another country. This is home.

ICE Raids and the 2025 Detention Surge

Early 2025 changed everything. Trump pledged “the largest deportation exercise in American history” and followed through. By August, ICE had detained five times more people than in previous years. About half the people in ICE detention have no criminal convictions. That’s the group that grew the most – regular people living their lives.

In January, Mayor Adams held a town hall here in Corona addressing ICE raid concerns. Make the Road New York moved their headquarters to Corona in April and started running Know Your Rights workshops weekly. The community went on edge.

The problem isn’t just criminal arrests anymore. Routine errands turn into moments of risk. ICE stakes out court appearances – you go to family court for a custody hearing, ICE is waiting outside. They conduct workplace raids at restaurants and construction sites. They show up at homes early in the morning.

What to Do if ICE Comes to Your Door

You don’t have to open the door unless they have a warrant signed by a judge – and an ICE deportation warrant isn’t the same. That’s an administrative document, not a judicial warrant. Ask them to slide it under the door. If it’s not signed by a judge, you can refuse entry.

If they enter anyway, don’t resist physically – say “I’m exercising my right to remain silent” and “I want to speak to my lawyer.” Don’t answer questions about where you were born or your immigration status, and don’t sign anything without a lawyer reviewing it first.

At workplaces, ICE needs a judicial warrant to enter non-public areas. But if you’re working in a restaurant dining room or store floor – public areas – they can enter without a warrant. If ICE shows up at your workplace, stay calm, don’t run, exercise your right to remain silent.

Family Immigration from Ecuador, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic

Many Corona residents petition family members from back home. U.S. citizens can petition immediate relatives – spouses and parents with no numerical caps. But processing takes forever. I-130 petition: 12-18 months, then consular processing in Quito or Bogotá adds another 6-12 months. Nearly two years before your spouse can join you.

Petitioning siblings or married adult children faces worse delays. The F3 category for married sons and daughters has multi-year backlogs. F4 for siblings can stretch 15-20 years depending on country. If you filed for your brother in Ecuador in 2008, he might be getting current now in 2025. His kids aged out at 21 during that wait – they need separate petitions.

Green card holders petitioning spouses used to wait years in the F2A category. Those wait times have improved recently, but you’re still looking at 12-18 months from filing to visa interview.

Adjustment vs Consular Processing

If you’re already in the U.S. and have an approved petition, the question is whether you can adjust status here or need to go through consular processing overseas. Adjustment only works if you entered legally with inspection – even if you overstayed. If you crossed the border without inspection, you typically can’t adjust unless you qualify for 245(i) based on very old petitions.

Consular processing means going back to Ecuador or Colombia for your visa interview. The risk? If you’ve been here unlawfully for more than a year, leaving triggers the 10-year bar. You get stuck outside the U.S. for a decade unless you get a waiver approved, which requires proving extreme hardship to your U.S. citizen or LPR spouse or parent.

Asylum for Latin American Immigrants

Asylum cases from Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela face different challenges. Ecuador has seen a massive surge in gang violence and organized crime in recent years. Cities like Guayaquil face cartel-related violence that the government can’t control. Those are viable asylum claims if you can show you were targeted – extortion attempts and threats against your business or family.

Colombian asylum seekers often fled paramilitaries, guerrillas, or criminal organizations. Even with the peace agreement, violence continues in certain regions. You need documentation showing what happened and why you couldn’t relocate safely within Colombia.

Venezuelan asylum cases are stronger right now given the country’s political and humanitarian crisis. But you still need to prove individualized persecution, not just general country conditions.

The one-year filing deadline applies from your last entry to the U.S. Many people don’t realize they needed to file within a year. You can argue extraordinary circumstances or changed conditions to excuse the delay, but it’s harder.

Why We Handle These Cases

Todd Spodek is a second-generation attorney – his father practiced law before him. After graduating from Pace Law School, Todd started appearing in courts throughout New York daily. He’s represented clients in high-profile cases including Anna Delvey – the case that became a Netflix series. Our firm has been featured in The New York Times, Newsweek, Bloomberg.

We work with Spanish-speaking clients regularly, who are facing challenges unique to the 2025 enforcement climate. The fear from ICE raids is real – we get calls at 6 AM from families whose loved ones were just detained. Whether you need deportation defense after ICE detention, family petitions for relatives in Ecuador or Colombia, asylum applications, or immediate advice when ICE shows up – call us. We’re available 24/7 because these situations don’t wait for business hours.