Can I Be Deported if I Haven't Committed a Crime?

Most people are aware that if an immigrant with no legal status commits a crime, he or she is likely to become subject to deportation proceedings. If the crime is serious, violent, a sexual offense, or involves large amounts of drugs, the likelihood of eventual deportation is quite high. Under the current administration, however, even a DUI conviction or another relatively low-level misdemeanor crime can raise a red flag for immigration officials. Since Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) no longer seems to be prioritizing the deportation of violent criminals over law-abiding immigrants who live and work with their families across the nation, the commission of any crime potentially puts you at a higher risk for deportation. Even if you haven’t committed any crime, you can be deported if you have no legal immigration status that authorizes you to be in the U.S. Whether you overstayed a tourist visa or your parents brought you to the U.S. an infant with no legal authority to remain in the country, your mere presence in the U.S. technically is a violation of the law. In fact, in recent ICE raids, there has been much media attention to the “collateral” immigrants detained by ICE. This refers to immigrants who were not the target of the raid, but simply swept up by ICE officials, simply because they happened to be present at a certain location. While a criminal conviction definitely increases your chances of being deported, you shouldn’t think that you are off the hook because you have no criminal history. While you might have been briefly detained and released as a non-priority under the Obama administration, the Trump administration has made it clear that all immigrants who lack legal status to be in the U.S. are equally at risk for deportation. Legal representation is essential to fighting back against deportation charges brought by the federal government. The Oakland deportation defense attorneys of Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C. know how to help you through every step of your deportation proceedings. Take the first step today toward securing the future of your family in the United States, and call our office at (510) 756-4468 to set up a legal evaluation with one of our highly skilled California immigration lawyers.