Section 1: Experience & Competence
Does the Law Offices of Robert Tsigler, PLLC handle immigration cases like mine?
Yes. The firm’s Immigration Law Department, directed by Michael Zigismund, handles removal defense, green cards and adjustment of status, and applications before USCIS, the Department of State, ICE, and CBP. The firm handles immigration matters in New York, New Jersey, and nationwide, and Zigismund practices in more than 50 jurisdictions, per his bio. Immigration attorney Jared Flanery handles removal defense and agency applications, and Robert Tsigler is admitted before the Board of Immigration Appeals, per his bio. Because the firm also practices criminal defense, it handles one of the hardest categories of immigration case: non-citizens whose status is threatened by an arrest or conviction.
Does the firm actually represent clients in immigration court?
Yes. Robert Tsigler reports representing clients in more than 1,000 removal hearings nationally, per his bio, and is admitted before the Board of Immigration Appeals. Jared Flanery defends clients in removal proceedings and trained in Cornell Law School’s Advanced Asylum and Convention Against Torture Appellate Clinic. The department is directed by Michael Zigismund, who oversees all of the firm’s immigration cases, so petitions and hearings are handled by attorneys with direct immigration court experience.
Has the firm handled serious or high-stakes immigration cases before?
Yes. Michael Zigismund reports obtaining a green card for a client who had waited 20 years after being flagged by the U.S. government as a suspected terrorist. Robert Tsigler’s more than 1,000 removal hearings, per his bio, involve clients facing deportation. The firm also handles crimmigration cases, where a criminal charge puts a green card, visa, or citizenship application at risk, and the criminal and immigration defense are coordinated inside the same firm. Jared Flanery recently won cancellation of removal for a father facing deportation over a drug conviction, and when the government appealed, secured his release through a habeas corpus petition.
Can the attorneys explain my options clearly?
Yes. Immigration law offers several paths, and they often conflict: an option that solves one problem can create another. The firm’s attorneys explain each path, its timeline, and its risk in plain terms. Michael Zigismund also publishes analysis on the firm’s blog, including a post on USCIS limiting adjustment of status to extraordinary circumstances. A review summary on trustanalytica.org says Zigismund “helped him solve a complex legal problem.”
Section 2: Trust & Transparency
What will this cost?
Cost depends on the type of case. A family-based green card application, a waiver, an asylum claim, and removal defense in immigration court require very different amounts of work, and government filing fees are separate from attorney fees. The consultation is where the attorney reviews your history, identifies the right path, and gives a direct fee answer. Ask what the fee covers, which government fees apply, and what would change the cost before you sign. The firm offers payment plans and financing options.
What happens after I hire the firm?
The work starts with a full review of the client’s immigration and criminal history, because a past arrest or a prior filing changes which options are available. From there, the attorney builds the petition or the removal defense record. Michael Zigismund’s green card win after a 20-year delay shows what a thorough record review uncovers. When there is an open criminal case, the firm’s criminal defense attorneys coordinate with the immigration team before any plea is considered.
Will the firm be honest with me about my chances?
Yes. Immigration is an area where false hope does real damage: a weak application can trigger removal proceedings. The firm’s attorneys tell clients plainly when a path is risky. Michael Zigismund has written publicly about restrictive policy, including USCIS limiting adjustment of status to extraordinary circumstances. Michael Elkin wrote about defendants who accepted plea deals without understanding the deportation risk, per his bio. Honest advice up front prevents those outcomes.
Section 3: Strategy & Results
What can be done for my situation?
The options depend on status, history, and family ties. The firm handles adjustment of status and green card applications, removal defense in immigration court, appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals, and applications before USCIS, the Department of State, ICE, and CBP. Jared Flanery trained in asylum and Convention Against Torture appellate work at Cornell Law School. For clients with criminal records, the firm analyzes whether a conviction can be addressed in criminal court before it blocks immigration relief, a strategy only a firm practicing both areas can run in-house.
Can I get my green card, approval, or relief from removal?
Yes, including in cases with serious complications. Michael Zigismund obtained a green card for a client who had waited 20 years after being flagged as a suspected terrorist by the U.S. government. Robert Tsigler has represented clients in more than 1,000 removal hearings nationally. A review summary on trustanalytica.org credits Zigismund with closing a complex case for a client. Recent results also include naturalization for a client with past serious drug convictions after Michael Zigismund filed a waiver, a green card for a client who had been ordered removed, obtained by reopening the case without the client ever leaving the U.S., and an approved Special Immigrant Juvenile petition. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Can deportation be avoided?
Often, yes. Deportation is not automatic, even after an arrest or a denied application. Relief options include cancellation of removal, asylum and related protections, waivers, and adjustment of status, depending on the client’s history. Robert Tsigler is admitted before the Board of Immigration Appeals, per his bio, so an unfavorable ruling from an immigration judge can be appealed. When the threat comes from a criminal case, the firm’s criminal defense attorneys work to resolve the charge in a way that protects status, the core of crimmigration defense. Even in today’s restrictive asylum climate, the firm won asylum and withholding of removal for a detained client in 2026 after a 6.5-hour hearing; DHS has appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals.
What factors affect the outcome of my immigration case?
Immigration outcomes turn on technical factors. Criminal history is the biggest: the exact statute of conviction and the sentence imposed decide whether a person is deportable, a risk Michael Elkin addressed in his Chicago Review article on deportation after a plea deal, per his bio. Agency policy also matters, as Michael Zigismund explained in his post on USCIS adjustment of status policy. Continuous residence, family relationships, prior filings, and the immigration court assigned to the case all shape strategy.
Section 4: Client Experience
Will I be judged, or will my situation be taken seriously?
Your situation will be taken seriously. Many immigrants avoid calling a lawyer out of fear that contact with the legal system will make things worse. The firm’s immigration attorneys have built their careers on the other side of that fear. Jared Flanery advocated for immigrant youth at the Rutgers Child Advocacy Clinic and worked in Cornell’s Farmworker Legal Assistance Clinic. Michael Zigismund took on a client who waited 20 years under a terrorism flag and won a green card. Every client is treated as someone with a future worth protecting.
“Robert was very effective in resolving an immigration matter for my family… I have referred a friend to him already and would recommend his services to anyone.”
Client testimonial naming Robert Tsigler, tsiglerlaw.com/testimonials
How involved will I need to be in my case?
It depends on the case, and your attorney will tell you exactly what is needed. Most immigration cases require the client to provide identity documents, records of entry and residence, and evidence of family relationships. Some require attending a USCIS interview or testifying at a hearing, and the attorney prepares the client for both. The attorney handles the filings, the legal arguments, and communication with the agencies, and tells the client in advance when their participation matters most.
The firm responds to every client inquiry within one business day, and right away for emergency matters. Questions about reaching your attorney, case updates, payment plans, and confidentiality are answered on the firm’s main Q&A page.
