Perry A. Craft has dedicated his life to helping people in need. He has tried, settled, or resolved numerous civil and criminal cases in State and Federal courts, and has represented teachers and administrators before school boards, administrative judges, and the state Board of Education. Learn more about Attorney Craft.
Posts by Perry Craft
Documentation, Deportation, and Social Security Fraud
Immigration laws and policies have been in the news quite a bit over the last few weeks. The new Administration has been very vocal about deportation (removal), so we want to discuss a particular issue that non-citizens may face: using fraudulent documentation in order to get work here in the U.S. Back in 2009, the…
Read MoreThe Supreme Court and the Next Likely Justice
The United States Supreme Court has the final word on the meaning of the U.S. Constitution and of federal statutes and federal law. Nine Justices serve on the Court; they have lifetime appointments. A majority of Justices, just five, decide important questions about freedom of speech, press, and religion; whether the states can limit or…
Read MorePresident Trump’s Immigration Policies
In his presidential campaign, then-candidate Donald Trump repeatedly told audiences that he would build a wall on the southern United States border, take a hard look at and block certain refugees from coming to the United States, and change immigration laws and policies. In the first days of his Presidency, President Trump has begun efforts…
Read MoreICE Holds and Mandatory Detention
If you are a non-citizen charged with a crime and are being held in jail, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency can issue an Immigration Detainer, also known as an “ICE hold.” The ICE hold requires the law enforcement agency, in whose custody you are being held, to detain or hold you for an…
Read MoreDeportable Crimes for Non-citizens and Undocumented Immigrants
Immigrants with criminal records will soon come under increased scrutiny. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to deport millions of immigrants with criminal records. In a televised interview, Mr. Trump said, “What we are going to do is get the people that are criminals and have criminal records, gang members, drug dealers, we have a lot…
Read MoreInjunctions
At times, a person or company files a lawsuit and asks the Judge to order the person or company sued not to do a certain act or to do a certain act. Courts are authorized generally to grant injunctions. Injunctions are binding court orders dictating and telling individuals to continue, stop, or refrain from performing…
Read MoreMarijuana, Immigration and the Risk of Deportation
In the last few years, 25 different states have changed their laws about marijuana. Some have completely legalized it, and others have made exceptions for the use of marijuana for medical use only. In Tennessee, however, the laws have not changed: it is illegal to possess, sell, buy or distribute marijuana in the state. Even…
Read More“Felons, Not Families:” The Truth about Deportation
In 2014, President Obama tried to ease fears of immigrants by promising to focus on the removal of criminals from the U.S., and not families who have built their lives across the country: “Felons, not families. Criminals, not children. Gang members, not a mom who’s working hard to provide for her kids.” Two years later,…
Read MoreDifferences between the Rehabilitation Act and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 ensure that individuals with disabilities do not face discrimination in the workplace, at school, in public, and more. Although the IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act both apply to education and people with disabilities, they are not identical;…
Read MoreWhat is the Handicapped Children’s Protection Act?
There are several statutes designed to benefit children with disabilities. One such statute is the Handicapped Children’s Protection Act (HCPA) of 1986. A significant win for civil rights and disability advocates, the HCPA builds on the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) of 1975. The EAHCA mandates that public schools receiving financial support from…
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