An immigration lawyer in Oakland handles green cards, citizenship, waivers and removal defense, and also defends the criminal charges that can trigger those same problems. The immigration practice at the Law Offices of David S. Chesley treats the two together, because an Alameda County plea can decide a federal immigration outcome that plays out somewhere else entirely.
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Does Oakland have its own federal immigration offices?
Partly. USCIS and ICE route Oakland to San Francisco. Immigration court does too, by the same logic.
USCIS assigns every Oakland ZIP code to the USCIS San Francisco Field Office, 630 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94111, not a separate Oakland address. That office handles green card interviews and naturalization ceremonies by appointment only; USCIS does not accept walk-ins, and biometrics are handled at a separate Application Support Center. USCIS's own guidance: "Please refer to your interview or appointment notice to confirm the field office address for your visit."
ICE follows the same pattern. Its Enforcement and Removal Operations division lists only three field offices statewide. Los Angeles and San Diego both have short, named county lists, and Alameda County is on neither one, which leaves the San Francisco Field Office, 630 Sansome Street, Room 590, San Francisco, CA 94111, (415) 365-8800, whose own stated Area of Responsibility is "Northern California, Hawaii, Guam, Saipan."
Immigration court is a separate agency from both. EOIR's own court listing shows only two Northern California courts, Concord and Sacramento, and no EOIR page says which counties each one covers. The Concord Immigration Court is at 1855 Gateway Boulevard, Suite 850, Concord, CA 94520, (925) 680-9015. The hearing notice that court sends once a Notice to Appear is filed, not a guess based on distance, states the actual court, date and time for a given case.
| Agency | Office | Address and phone |
|---|---|---|
| USCIS | San Francisco Field Office | 630 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94111 |
| ICE | San Francisco Field Office (ERO) | 630 Sansome Street, Room 590, San Francisco, CA 94111; (415) 365-8800 |
| EOIR (immigration court) | Concord Immigration Court | 1855 Gateway Boulevard, Suite 850, Concord, CA 94520; (925) 680-9015 |
Once a case exists, EOIR's Automated Case Information System lets someone check it with an A-Number and nationality. EOIR describes it as offering "basic information about the status of certain cases," with a caution that "Not all cases, or all information about a case is displayed." The agency is clear that the court's or Board's own documents, not this lookup, "are the only official determinations related to your case."
Where does an Oakland criminal case actually go?
Alameda County hears criminal cases at two separate downtown Oakland buildings, plus others elsewhere in the county.
The René C. Davidson Courthouse is at 1225 Fallon Street, Oakland, CA 94612, (510) 891-6000 general line, (510) 891-6009 criminal. The Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse is at 661 Washington Street, Oakland, CA 94607, (510) 627-4700 general line, (510) 627-4702 criminal. The county's own site also lists courthouses in Fremont, Hayward and Dublin for cases filed in those areas, so a specific citation or release paperwork, not a guess, states which building and department applies.
The Law Offices of David S. Chesley's own Oakland office is at 1901 Harrison Street, Suite 1100, Oakland, CA 94612, (510) 306-2889. The firm's wider Oakland practice is on the Oakland criminal defense page, and a theft charge, which has its own federal immigration angle below, has its own page, the Oakland theft charges page.
What does an Oakland conviction risk under federal immigration law?
Alameda County's sentence is not the last word. Two separate federal questions follow a conviction: whether it makes someone deportable or inadmissible, and whether it blocks relief such as cancellation of removal.
| Question | Governing section | What can trigger it |
|---|---|---|
| Deportable? | 8 U.S.C. 1227(a)(2) | Aggravated felony; moral turpitude; drugs; firearms; domestic violence |
| Inadmissible? | 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(2) | Moral turpitude or controlled substance, absent the exception |
| Barred from cancellation of removal? | 8 U.S.C. 1229b(a)(3), (b)(1)(C) | Aggravated felony (permanent residents); 1182(a)(2), 1227(a)(2), (a)(3) (others) |
Oakland's own theft caseload is the clearest local example of the first row, covered below as its own frequently asked question. The firm's immigration practice explains these deportable, inadmissible and cancellation-of-removal grounds in full, along with the court's advisement duty before a plea, the defense lawyer's separate duty under Padilla v. Kentucky, and the relief available once a conviction is already final; the FAQs below cover what actually happens when that advisement is missed or incomplete.
What other immigration work does the firm handle for Oakland clients?
Beyond the criminal case, the firm takes on asylum applications, EB-5 investor filings, adjustment of status toward a green card, citizenship and naturalization filings, and the firm's family-hardship Waivers 601 and 601(a) (USCIS form numbers, not statute sections). For someone already in removal proceedings, that includes Cancellation of Removal 42(b) or 42(a) under 8 U.S.C. 1229b, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, T Visas, U Visas (always requiring a law enforcement certification) and post-conviction relief such as sealing records, which helps outside the immigration case but, under Matter of Pickering, does not by itself undo an immigration consequence. More on how California record relief affects an immigration case.
Frequently asked questions
Which Oakland courthouse, René C. Davidson or Wiley W. Manuel, will hear my case?
Alameda County's own notice to appear, citation or release paperwork states the exact courthouse for a specific case, since both buildings hear Alameda County Superior Court criminal matters.
Can local police transfer someone straight from an Oakland jail to ICE?
Not freely. California's Values Act, Government Code 7284.6(a)(1)(B), bars detention on an immigration hold request alone, and 7284.6(a)(4) bars a transfer without a judicial warrant or probable cause finding, unless Government Code 7282.5 allows it for a specific list of convictions.
Does an Oakland theft conviction really count as an "aggravated felony" under federal law?
It can. 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(43)(G) reaches a theft offense, including receipt of stolen property, or a burglary offense, whenever the sentence imposed is one year or more, regardless of California's own label for the charge.
If my Oakland case was resolved with probation instead of jail time, does that limit the immigration risk?
Not automatically. 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(48)(B) counts a suspended sentence at its full original length for immigration purposes, so a probation-based resolution can still reach a one-year mark.
Did the Oakland court have to warn me about immigration consequences, and what happens if it got that wrong?
Yes. Penal Code 1016.5 requires a court to warn a noncitizen, before almost any guilty or no contest plea, that a conviction may carry one of three consequences: deportation, exclusion from returning, or denial of naturalization. Skipping the warning entirely requires letting the defendant withdraw the plea. For a plea before January 1, 2026, subdivision (e) says an imperfect warning is not, by itself, grounds to vacate, though a judge may still grant relief another way.
What if my Oakland defense lawyer never discussed immigration consequences with me at all?
Penal Code 1473.7 allows a motion to vacate the conviction in that situation. It covers more than a missing court warning, which is Penal Code 1016.5's separate concern, and either can apply depending on what actually happened.
Is an Oakland arrest without a conviction ever enough to trigger federal custody?
In specific circumstances, yes. Under the Laken Riley Act, 8 U.S.C. 1226(c)(1)(E) requires federal custody for a noncitizen who is inadmissible under 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(6)(A), (6)(C) or (7) and who "is charged with, is arrested for, is convicted of, admits having committed, or admits committing acts which constitute the essential elements of" burglary, theft, larceny, shoplifting, assault on a law enforcement officer, or a crime causing death or serious injury, without a conviction being required first.
Talk to a lawyer about your Oakland case today
Whether the issue is a new Oakland charge, an old conviction causing a new immigration problem, or a pending application an arrest has complicated, the Law Offices of David S. Chesley offers a free consultation, is available 24/7, and offers payment plans. Call (800) 755-5174 or use the firm's consultation request form to review both sides of the case together.