If you are a non-U.S. citizen and you are convicted of a crime, you could be deported from the United States and lose your immigration status. This blog post will discuss how criminal convictions can affect your immigration status. It will also provide information on what to do if you are arrested or convicted of a crime.
Risk of deportation
One of the primary things that can happen if you are convicted of a crime as a non-U.S. citizen is that you could be deported from the United States. According to the seasoned legal practitioners from the Law Office of Adam Dippel, the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) lists several crimes that can lead to deportation, including crimes of moral turpitude, aggravated felonies, controlled substance offenses, firearms offenses, and domestic violence offenses. If you are convicted of any of these crimes, you could be deported from the United States.
In addition, if you are convicted of two or more crimes that are not considered to be deportable offenses, you could also be deported. This means that even if the crime you committed is not included in the INA’s list of deportable offenses, you could still be deported if you are convicted of two or more crimes. For this reason, it is important to avoid getting convicted of any crime, even if it is not a deportable offense.
Loss of immigration status
Another way that a criminal conviction can affect your immigration status is by causing you to lose your current immigration status. If you are a lawful permanent resident (Green Card holder), you could lose your Green Card if you are convicted of certain crimes. For example, if you are convicted of an aggravated felony, you will automatically lose your Green Card. In addition, if you are convicted of a crime of moral turpitude or a controlled substance offense, you could also lose your Green Card. If you lose your Green Card, you will become deportable from the United States.
Keep in mind that it is quite difficult to obtain a Green Card, so if you do have one, it is important to try to avoid being convicted of a crime. For most immigrants, it can even take years before they can obtain a Green Card. This can be attributed to the fact that the U.S. immigration system is complex and backlogged. Hence, if you have obtained a Green Card, it is important to try to maintain your immigration status by making sure that you do not get involved in any criminal activity.
What to do if you are arrested or convicted of a crime
If you are arrested or convicted of a crime, it is important to immediately contact an immigration attorney. An attorney can help you to understand how your criminal conviction will affect your immigration status and what options are available to you. In some cases, there may be options that can help you to avoid deportation or loss of your immigration status. For example, if you are convicted of a crime of moral turpitude, you may be eligible for what is known as a “waiver of inadmissibility.” This waiver can allow you to remain in the United States even though you have been convicted of a crime. An attorney can also help you to understand what other options may be available to you, depending on your specific situation.
In choosing a lawyer to work with, there are some things that you should keep in mind. First, you want to make sure that the lawyer is experienced in immigration law and criminal defense. It is also important to make sure that the lawyer is familiar with the particular laws of your state. This is because you want to make sure that the lawyer is familiar with the laws and knows how to best help you in your specific situation.
In addition, you want to make sure that the lawyer is someone who you feel comfortable working with. This is because you will be sharing sensitive information with the lawyer and you want to make sure that it is someone who you can trust. You also want to make sure that the lawyer is someone who you feel confident in and who you feel will be able to help you achieve the best possible outcome in your case.
What happens if you are acquitted
In case you are arrested but not convicted of a crime, you may still face immigration consequences. For example, if you are arrested for a crime of moral turpitude or a controlled substance offense, you will still be placed in removal proceedings. This is because these arrests can be used as evidence against you in your immigration case. In addition, if you are arrested for a crime but are later acquitted, you could still be placed in removal proceedings if the government believes that there is enough evidence to prove that you committed the crime. This means that even if you are not convicted of a crime, you could still face immigration consequences, which can be quite serious.
Hence, even if you are not convicted of a crime, it is important to contact an immigration attorney as soon as possible so that he or she can help you understand how your arrest may affect your immigration status. Keep in mind that your case will be put on permanent hold if you are detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This means that you will not be able to work on your case or file any applications while you are in detention. As a result, it is important to try to avoid being detained by ICE if at all possible.
Criminal convictions can have serious consequences for non-U.S. citizens. If you are convicted of a crime, you could be deported from the United States or lose your immigration status. If you are arrested or convicted of a crime, it is important to immediately contact an immigration attorney to understand your options and what can be done to help you avoid deportation or loss of your immigration status.
