The Stupid, it hurts!!!
http://immigration.lawyers.com/deportation/conviction-may-mean-deportation-or-removal-from-us.html
Conviction May Mean Deportation or Removal from US
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DEPORTATION BY LAWYERS.COM[sup]SM[/sup]
There are millions of non-US citizens (or "foreign nationals" or "aliens") in the country at any given time. Many here legally. For example, you may be a "permanent resident" or have a "
green card," meaning you can live and work in the US indefinitely and enjoy most of the rights and privileges that US citizens have. Or, you may have a
visa, which lets you stay in the country temporarily while you work or go to school. Some non-citizens are here illegally, such when someone sneaks into the country or stays here after his visa has expired.
Regardless, if you're not a US citizen and you're in the country, a criminal conviction may mean your
deportation or removal from the US. That is, the federal government can send you back to your native country and bar you from re-entering the US.
Crimes and Convictions
Under
US immigration law, a non-US citizen may be deported or removed from the country if she commits any of the following crimes:
[*]
Crimes of moral turpitude (CIMT). These crimes involve some act that's base, depraved or vile. Examples include murder, rape and arson. You may be deported for a conviction on a CIMT only if you were convicted within five years after you were admitted to the US (it's 10 years if you have a green card) and you were sentenced to a year or more in prison
Aggravated feloniesrong> . The
immigration law lists dozens of crimes that qualify as aggravated felonies, such as murder, rape and trafficking in drugs or firearms. It doesn't matter how long you've been in the US, either. If you commit an aggravated felony at any time after being admitted to the US, you may be deported
[*]
Failure to register as a sex offender. If you're convicted of a sex-related crime and you're required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act and you don't, you may be deported
[*]Drug-related crimes . You may be deported if you're convicted of selling, distributing or possessing illegal drugs or "controlled substances." The exception is if the conviction is your first conviction and it was for possessing 30 grams or less of marijuana for your own use
[*]Gun-related crimes . A conviction for buying, selling, owning or carrying a firearm is a deportable offense
Crimes of domestic violence. This means any crime of violence you commit against a current or former spouse, the other parent of your child, or any person you're living with or used to live with
Crimes against the US or other citizens. You may be deported if you commit
treason and
espionage, or acts of
terrorism