John C. Barrera is an immigration attorney who is the managing partner of the Barrera Legal Group and head of the firm’s Immigration and Criminal Defense practice. John’s desire to practice Immigration Law was developed through his Hispanic upbringing being born to Colombian parents, being married to his wife from Colombia and by being raised in the multicultural neighborhood of Jackson Heights in Queens, New York. His everyday life allowed John to interact and become part of the lives of people from many different countries and cultures and inspired John to help immigrants fight through the many challenges they face in realizing their dreams to live and prosper in the United States.
John has real world experience having successfully represented numerous clients in complex removal defense proceedings in immigration courts around the United States. As an immigration attorney, John has had numerous victories keeping families together in the United States and has also has successfully represented clients in employment based immigration matters, Green Card matters such as adjustment of status and immigrant visas processes, non immigrant visitor visas, asylum applications and U-visa applications.
In addition to his experience as an immigration attorney, John is also an experienced Criminal Defense attorney obtaining dismissals and acquittals in various cases involving Drug Trafficking, Homicide, Theft Offenses and cases involving Traffic Offenses including Driving Under the Influence charges. John is regularly consulted by the criminal defense bar and has co-hosted a weekly hour long radio show taking immigration criminal questions.
John has over twenty years of combined legal experience. John is admitted to practice in the States of New York, Washington and Idaho, as well as the United States Court of Appeals for Ninth and Tenth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Brooklyn Law School and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. John is fluent in Spanish and he is Member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, (AILA), the National Immigration Project, the Idaho Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Nassau County Bar Association.
John has served as an AILA chapter liaison to the office of Immigration Customs Enforcement, (ICE).