The average citizen may have a relatively minor brush with the law and pay the consequences without any long-lasting or highly disruptive after-effects, depending on the infraction of course. A legal situation may pose a very different outcome, however, for a person in Maryland who has a green card and gets into trouble with the law. There are a number of crimes that can actually lead to deportation for a person who is not a citizen.
The nature of the alleged crime plays a role in whether or not deportation is possible if there is a conviction. A crime or citation as minor as getting into a fight can open the door to a deportation hearing based on the circumstances and outcome of a criminal case. Also, minor drug infractions can also lead to the possibility of deportation.
The consequences can vary and are typically broken up into two groups based on the crime. A crime can result in inadmissibility, and this means you may not be able to renew a visa or re-enter the country. A crime may also be grounds for removability, which means you could be deported.
Because any crime can have an impact on immigration status, anyone in Maryland who has a green card and is arrested may want to inquire more about how an arrest and conviction can impact his or her status. Deportation can be a lengthy and complicated process to understand under any circumstances. Our website provides information about deportation and how criminal charges can affect immigration status.