Regardless of nationality, being charged with committing an offense is serious, it may be more so if the person accused is an immigrant. An immigrant to the United States may face removal if they are convicted. Foreign nationals that are in the US as a non-immigrant may very well lose any chance of ever getting the green card and those that have their green card may lose it and face deportation. One of the most complex areas of law is when both immigration and criminal law are involved; in many cases a criminal defense lawyer may not be fully aware of the immigration consequences and as such a criminal immigration attorney in Berks County PA is the better choice.
Immigrations view of a criminal conviction:
The results of a conviction for a crime are viewed quite differently by the US Immigration Service. When a US citizen is convicted of a crime the penalty is often a prison sentence or a period of probation; when an immigrant is imprisoned, given probation or even if there are facts sufficient to confirm involvement in a crime, it can result in deportation. An immigrant who finds him or herself in such a situation must never enter a plea of guilty or even no-contest; it is of utmost importance to hire a criminal immigration attorney in Berks County PA that is fully cognizant of how a criminal conviction will impact your immigration status.
Crimes that can lead to removal from the US are crimes of moral turpitude as well as aggravated felonies.
What is moral turpitude?
Crimes involving moral turpitude include acts such as fraud, theft, spousal abuse, assault and even DUI. There are far more examples, as a result if you are accused of a crime it is always best to consult with a criminal immigration attorney to determine if the crime you have been convicted of is one that involves moral turpitude.
