A criminal conviction (which includes a withhold of adjudication) can have serious ramifications pertaining to the deportation of someone who is not a United States citizen but who wishes to remain lawfully in the U.S.
The Immigration and Nationality Act sets forth various criminally-related grounds for deportation. Some of those grounds are:
- Crimes of moral turpitude;
- Aggravated felonies;
- Controlled substance violations;
- Firearms violations;
- Domestic violence charges;
- Offenses pertaining to national security.
Because a criminal conviction can have such serious deportation consequences for an individual who is not a U.S. citizen but who wishes to remain legally in the United States, I always ask my clients whether they are naturalized citizens of the United States. If they are not, I routinely suggest that they consult an attorney who specializes in immigration law in order to determine how their pending criminal case might impact their immigration status.