Crimmigration 2026

  • OnDemand seminar
  • Course manual (PDF)
  • Attorney Regulation
  • Criminal Law
Up to 7.0 Credit Hours
View schedule and faculty
Crimmigration 2026

High stakes for noncitizen defendants

Noncitizens facing criminal charges stand at one of the most vulnerable intersections in the justice system. Frequent news coverage of enforcement efforts and detention activity illustrates the real-world implications of every charging decision, plea discussion, and court appearance involving a noncitizen client. A single conviction for a seemingly minor offense can determine not only liberty but also family unity, employment, and long-term stability, making it crucial for attorneys to understand how the criminal and immigration systems interact.

At the crossroads

Attorneys working in this space shoulder a unique responsibility: every step of a criminal case can trigger ramifications in a separate deferral system governed by its own rules, priorities, and consequences. Crimmigration 2026 offers a precise, practical examination of these pressures, equipping you with tools to assess risk, anticipate outcomes, and protect your client’s future.

8:30 am
Crimmigration Basics

Melissa Nepomiachi

  • An understanding of defense counsel's obligations to non-citizen clients under Padilla
  • How to screen and identify non-citizen clients and what information is needed to provide Padilla advice
  • An explanation of the different types of immigration consequences and criminal statutes that trigger those consequences
  • Litigation/negotiation strategies to avoid or mitigate immigration consequences for non-citizen clients.
9:20 am
ICE detention and Enforcement Priority Updates

Kate F. Drury, Aissa I. Olivarez

10:30 am
Break
10:45 am
Employing the Categorical Approach for Safer Immigration Pleas & More Effective Removal Defense

Teddy Chadwick

  • Using the categorical and modified categorical approaches to audit Wisconsin charges for immigration consequences
  • Structuring plea negotiations to avoid triggering removability grounds
  • Coordinating with immigration counsel to mitigate future detention and removal risk
12:00 pm
Lunch (on your own)
1:00 pm
Litigating immigration in a criminal case

Andrew I. Martinez

2:00 pm
Ethical Issues and Implications in Crimmigration Cases

Natalia A. Lucak, Timothy J. Pierce

  • The scope of client confidentiality when faced with the desire to expedite proceedings
  • How to address court orders to disclose information
  • Outline the role and permissible actions of criminal defense attorneys and immigration attorneys working together on a case
  • Emphasize the importance of being a zealous advocate, but balancing that with avoiding frivolous legal representation
  • Address the ethics of plea bargaining with confidential information
  • Discuss the importance of maintaining confidential communication with clients, and the challenges involved in these cases
  • How to provide legal information about potential adverse consequences that a client may experience
  • Scope of representation for immigration attorneys and for criminal defense attorneys
2:50 pm
Break
3:05 pm
Panel Presentation: Effective strategies to accomplish client-centered objectives (writs, stipulated facts, bond/custody)
4:00 pm
Program Concludes

Program Chair and Presenter

Kate F. Drury
Kate Drury Law LLC · Waupaca

Presenters

7 total
Teddy Chadwick
Fernandez, Chadwick & Crouse · West Milwaukee
Benjamin M. Crouse
Crouse Law LLC · Milwaukee
Natalia A. Lucak
Community Immigration Law Center · Madison
Andrew I. Martinez
Martinez & Ruby LLP · Baraboo
Melissa Nepomiachi
Wisconsin State Public Defenders Office · Milwaukee
Aissa I. Olivarez
Community Immigration Law Center · Madison
Timothy J. Pierce
State Bar of Wisconsin · Madison

  • Reduce the risk of unintended immigration fallout from plea decisions
  • Advise clients about detention possibilities and enforcement trends
  • Apply strategies that improve outcomes in both criminal defense and removal contexts
  • Enhance your ability to accomplish client-centered objectives
  • Earn an ethics credit directly tied to crimmigration practice
  • Immigration attorneys
  • Criminal defense lawyers
  • Attorneys with noncitizen clients
  • Prosecutors
  • Family lawyers
  • Corporation counsel

Book Bonus!

Immigration Consequences of Wisconsin Criminal Offenses
Save 15% on the Immigration Consequences of Wisconsin Criminal Offenses.* Strengthen your practice with this comprehensive resource for evaluating immigration implications and crafting plea agreements that safeguard your noncitizen clients. Use discount code CA3925 when you order online or by calling (800) 728-7788.

*Discount applies to both print and digital Books Unbound editions of this title and cannot be applied to previous purchases. Offer valid through 12/31/27. For Books Unbound users, discount may be applied to purchase of individual Books Unbound title only and may not be used on the purchase of libraries. Discount cannot be combined with any other offers.

Sponsored by

Interested in sponsoring this program? Find out more.