Jon-Paul McConnell

J.P. McConnell is a immigration attorney and the founder of McConnell Defense, a removal defense practice serving clients across the United States. He is located in Brooklyn, New York. He represents individuals and families in immigration court, before the Board of Immigration Appeals, and in federal district court. His work focuses on bond hearings, detention defense, asylum, cancellation of removal, and habeas corpus litigation under 28 U.S.C. § 2241. Federal habeas corpus petitions are a core part of the practice, allowing J.P. to challenge unlawful detention and seek relief directly in federal court when the immigration system fails his clients. McConnell Defense also advises employers on I-9 compliance, worksite enforcement preparedness, and defense before the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer. J.P. helps businesses understand their obligations under federal immigration law and defend themselves when enforcement comes. Before founding McConnell Defense, J.P. spent over a decade working abroad on some of the most difficult human rights and displacement crises of the era. He worked with the Office of the Prosecutor at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, confronting state-sponsored violence and accountability for atrocity. In the field, he worked directly with refugee populations, victims of trafficking, and survivors of war across multiple conflict zones, helping vulnerable people navigate borders, international protection systems, and the long road to permanent safety. That work took him across multiple continents and brought him face to face with the consequences of persecution, statelessness, and forced displacement. J.P. volunteers with the Immigration Justice Campaign on pro bono removal defense matters. He is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and is registered with the Executive Office for Immigration Review. Hablamos español. مع وجود ترجمة متاحة. 普通话服务亦可提供。