This is an inquiry for a dear friend. At age 20, he was pulled over for speeding in Houston, TX. Subsequent search revealed a small amt of cocaine (which belonged to a friend who was not in the car.) My friend was arrested, charged w/ felony possession & given 3 options: 1) Serve a 5-yr term; 2) they would charge his father, in whose name the car was registered; or 3) take deferred adjudication, serve probation, a fine of $350 & community service. His atty. advised #3. To protect his father & his lousy friend, my friend pled "no contest" and took option 3. This is his one and only offense. He is now 30 yrs old.
This one conviction aside, he has been a law-abiding, contributing member of American and Texan society. He is a professing Christian w/ a history of an active church life & a productive employment history. He pays his federal taxes yearly and on time (w/ a Social Security # which is attached to an alien ID # AND which the IRS has yet to question at tax time.) My friend has many friends who are born citizens of the US who are willing to speak on his behalf as to the quality of his character.
Some backstory: My friend was brought across the Texas/Mexico border as an infant, grew up believing he had been born a US citizen, attended Houston-area schools, was a decorated member of JROTC in high school w/ aspirations to join the US military, and graduated high school at the age of 16. Only when he was hired for his first job as a network admin asst. for a data-systems co. (soon after graduation) did my friend learn that in fact he is not a US citizen. Last year, he married a US citizen, and their hope was that his citizenship would be within easier reach. An immigration atty. has since advised him that there's "hope" for him if he can pay about $66,000 for the atty. to work out all the details. Is this an outrageous amount, or are we just naive?
After many attempts to play the legal immigration/naturalization game, which is so costly in money and time (because of family circumstances, he missed taking advantage of the "Family Unification Act"; and now, at age 30, he's dangerously close to missing the "Dream Act") he became discouraged and made the mistake of befriending the wrong crowd and misplacing his loyalty w/ a "friend" who allowed him to take the fall. My friend has just been living under the radar ever since.
My question: What hope does my friend have in obtaining legal status first and then US citizenship? What should he be prepared to pay for this privilege? Is it really a money- and who-you-know game? Any solid advice based in real knowledge of the laws of Texas & the US will be appreciated.

