Immigrants Need Stronger Representation Than Ever Despite Hopeful Developments for Immigrants, says Attorney Dmitry Paniotto.

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- An immigration lawyer Los Angeles residents have turned to in times of need has a thought for immigrant families. Dmitry Paniotto, Los Angeles immigration attorney, says that the growing political might of pro-immigrant groups, as exhibited both nationally and within the state of California in this year's elections, remain hopeful developments for area communities. However, even in the face of new more favorable rules from the federal government, the fact of the matter is that vast issues remain unresolved and new rules bring up new challenges.

In the opinion of an immigration lawyer Los Angeles residents often turn to, the need for competent legal representation for those caught up in deportation and other proceeding remains as strong as ever.  Mr. Dmitry and his firm have provided counsel for numerous individuals when it comes to legal matters pertaining to immigrants. Providing services in Spanish and Russian as well as English with his multilingual staff, Mr. Paniotto is widely known as an "abogado de inmigracion" in the Spanish speaking community as he is among immigrants from Russia.

One additional cause for hope is that it seems possible that the immigration "holds" associated with the so-called "Secure Communities" program of ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) may be limited to some degree in the coming year.  Under current practices, any person detained by local law enforcement may have his or her residency status checked. While the law has been defended as a means of protecting the public, the fact of the matter is that even persons accused of the most minor or nonviolent offensives may find themselves caught up in the program and deported. Many members of law enforcement are seeking alternatives to devoting precious time and resources to a costly, time consuming process that does nothing for public safety while devastating the lives of individuals guilty only of minor traffic or drug offenses.

"Changing the rule on holds would be very good, but that's not going to happen overnight," said Mr. Paniotto. "For now, lawyers like myself are going be spending an awful lot of time on cases which treat nonviolent offenders the same way they treat the most dangerous criminals."

"'There are any number of deeply unfair policies in place. Fortunately, there are also very numerous legal remedies open to people threatened with being forced out of the country. It's our job to use those rules on behalf of our clients with the greatest possible vigor," Mr. Paniotto said.

Anyone with questions pertaining to their own or a loved one's immigration status can contact the Paniotto Law Firm by calling 213-637-5623 or visiting the site at http://www.dmitrylaw.com/.

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SOURCE Paniotto Law Firm