Airport Detention Lawyer in Houston

On-the-Ground Airport Detention Experience at IAH & HOU

When a traveler is detained at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) or William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), the window for effective legal action is short. The Law Office of Mana Yegani handles airport detention cases at both Houston airports. Detainees are typically transferred to the Houston Contract Detention Facility (CDF or CCA) under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and we’re positioned to respond quickly.

Houston is one of the busiest international air travel gateways in the country. That volume means Customs and Border Protection (CBP) secondary inspections and airport detentions happen with significant frequency here. Airport detention can occur without warning to returning lawful permanent residents, visa holders, and arriving aliens alike. We’ve handled and won thousands of immigration cases for clients, including cases involving airport detention at Houston’s airports. Attorney Yegani holds a 5-star rating on Avvo along with the Clients’ Choice Award, and our multilingual team communicates in Farsi, Spanish, and Russian to serve Houston’s international community.

Why Someone Gets Detained at a Houston Airport

CBP officers at IAH and HOU run background checks on arriving non-citizens, including lawful permanent residents and nonimmigrant visa holders. Several situations routinely trigger detention and the start of removal proceedings.

• Extended absence from the U.S.: A lawful permanent resident who spent more than six months outside the country may be found to have abandoned LPR status and placed in proceedings.
• Criminal history: A prior conviction for a crime of moral turpitude or an aggravated felony can make a non-citizen inadmissible at the port of entry.
• Prior removal or deportation order: A past order of removal, including one entered in absentia, can result in immediate referral to ICE.
• Missed immigration court date: Failing to appear for a prior immigration hearing creates a record CBP can find and act on.
• Incorrect or expired visa: Arriving under the wrong visa category or with an expired document gives CBP grounds to deny admission.

When CBP determines a person is inadmissible, the officer may issue a Notice to Appear (NTA), which formally opens a deportation case. The NTA doesn’t mean deportation is the final outcome, but it marks the start of a process where legal representation can make a real difference. CBP may then refer the traveler to ICE for transfer to a facility such as the Houston Contract Detention Facility, or may release the person on parole while the case is pending.

Rights & Immediate Steps During Airport Detention

Arriving aliens have limited but real legal protections, and the earliest hours of detention matter. Understanding what is and isn’t required during CBP secondary inspection can help prevent lasting harm.

During secondary inspection, a detainee is generally required to answer questions about identity, immigration status, and standard customs matters. Broader questioning goes beyond that required scope. More critically, CBP may present Form I-407, a record of voluntary abandonment of lawful permanent resident status. Signing that form surrenders a green card and can be extremely difficult to undo. A detained person shouldn’t sign Form I-407 without first speaking to an attorney, and the same caution applies to any document a detainee doesn’t fully understand.

Detainees have the right to request an interpreter if they aren’t proficient in English. CBP isn’t required to provide an attorney during initial questioning, but the detained person can and should request to speak with one, and that request goes on the record. An arriving alien who fears return to their home country can inform the officer and request asylum, which triggers a credible fear interview overseen by the Houston Asylum Office for Houston-area cases. We coordinate with interpreters and immigration officers to protect our clients’ rights from the earliest stages, and clients have direct access to Attorney Yegani throughout their case, not only to support staff.

Representation for LPRs, Out-of-State Travelers, & Arriving Aliens

Lawful permanent residents have the right to request a hearing before an immigration judge rather than accepting a CBP determination at the airport. Only an immigration judge can issue a final removal order or revoke permanent resident status. That distinction matters enormously, and early legal intervention can affect whether an LPR preserves that status or surrenders it.

We assist both detainees and out-of-state family members. Many travelers passing through Houston aren’t Houston residents; they were connecting to another destination when detained. We handle requests for a change of venue to the appropriate immigration court, ICE holds, deportation defense, criminal defense with immigration consequences, and parole bonds for airport detainees.

Arriving aliens detained at a U.S. airport aren’t eligible for a traditional immigration bond but may be released on parole. Parole is limited to special circumstances and granted on a case-by-case basis, but when obtained, it generally allows the detainee to work while the case moves forward. Without legal representation, a detainee may remain at the Houston Contract Detention Facility for days or weeks without a bond hearing being scheduled.

Attorney Mana Yegani: Airport Lawyer During the 2017 Travel Ban

When the 2017 Travel Ban took effect, Attorney Mana Yegani went to the airports. She volunteered as an airport lawyer, providing on-the-ground representation to travelers detained under the executive order, and in recognition of that work, she received the Sharon Levine Unsung Heroes Award at the 2017 HCCLA Banquet in Houston. That experience isn’t a credential on paper. It’s documented, hands-on familiarity with how airport detention unfolds in real time, in the airports that serve Houston.

Attorney Yegani earned her J.D. in 2010 and has more than a decade of immigration law experience. Our firm has been recognized by national and international platforms for its immigration advocacy, and our multilingual team, fluent in Farsi, Spanish, and Russian, serves the diverse international traveler and immigrant communities that move through Houston every day. Clients have direct access to Attorney Yegani from the first call through the resolution of their case.

Get Help with Airport Detention at IAH or HOU

Time works against a detained traveler. Families often learn about an airport detention hours after it happens, and the decisions made in those first hours can follow a case through the immigration courts. We handle airport detention cases at IAH and HOU and serve clients throughout the Houston area and Southeast Texas. Call our firm to discuss the situation promptly.