Deportation Defense for Crimes Involving Moral Turpitude
Looking for A Specific Post? Search Below
A Joliet Immigration Lawyer Is Here To Help
If you are currently living in the United States under an immigrant visa, it is important to learn more about reasons for deportation and removal. Under Section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Section 237 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, immigrants can be deported in certain circumstances. One of the more common reasons for deportation is being convicted of a certain type of crime. As the website for the U.S. Department of Justice and the Offices of the United States Attorneys explains, one of the categories of crimes for which an alien can be deported is called a “crime of moral turpitude.” What is a crime of moral turpitude, and how can a Chicago immigration lawyer assist with your deportation defense if you have been convicted of a crime of moral turpitude?
Learning More About How the Law Defines a “Crime of Moral Turpitude”
How does the law define “moral turpitude”? As the U.S. Department of Justice explains, the term is a difficult one “to define with precision.” Generally speaking, however, case law has clarified what moral turpitude means, and a wide variety of crimes may fit into this category. According to the Justice Department, the term broadly refers to “a nebulous concept, which refers generally to conduct that shocks the public conscience.” Numerous types of offenses have been known to fit into this category, including but not limited to:
- Murder;
- Voluntary manslaughter;
- Kidnapping;
- Robbery; and
- Aggravated assault.
Notably, crimes that do not involve deadly weapons (for example, drug possession) typically are not considered to be crimes of moral turpitude. However, crimes that have the “intent to defraud,” even if there is no dangerous weapon involved, often have been deemed to be crimes of moral turpitude.
You might be wondering whether the term “crime of moral turpitude” is too broad or vague and thus unconstitutional. This question has arisen previously, and courts have determined that a crime “involving moral turpitude” is not too vague so as to be unconstitutional. In fact, the recent Seventh Circuit case of Dominguez-Pulido v. Lynch (2016) reaffirmed that a “crime involving moral turpitude” is not unconstitutionally vague.
How Crimes of Moral Turpitude Can Result in a Judicial Order of Deportation
Under 8 U.S.C. § 1251(a)(2)(A)(i), if an immigrant (an “alien” under the law, or a person who does not have citizenship) is “convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude committed within five years from the date of entry, and sentenced to confinement or confined therefor for one year or longer,” then that person can be subject to deportation.
It is important to acknowledge that “entry” does not simply mean the person’s first entry into the United States. To be sure, the term “entry” has been construed broadly under the law so that, “although the conviction must occur within five years of entry, any entry into the United States may be used to support the charge of deportability.”
Discuss Your Deportation Defense with an Immigration Lawyer in Chicago
If you were convicted of a crime of moral turpitude and are now facing a judicial order of deportation, an experienced Chicago immigration attorney can discuss your options with you for building a strong defense. We may be able to obtain a stay of deportation while we work on your case and consider options for helping you to remain in the United States. Contact Kriezelman Burton & Associates, LLC for more information.
Co Mówią Nasi Klienci
Ocena 5 gwiazdek | Na podstawie 200+ pozytywnych opinii na Google
Kevin Raica literally saved my life. He helped me out of a dangerous situation that my previous attorney had put me in. After 17 years without status and 6.5 years of working with my previous attorney, I had experienced so many denials that I had completely lost hope. When I met Kevin, everything changed. He genuinely cared about my situation and gave me hope when I couldn’t see any for…
We sincerely thank the entire team for the professionalism, responsiveness, patience, and dedication shown throughout our case. From our very first visit, Justin reassured us that everything would be all right. Thank you, Khiabett, for your expertise, professionalism, and calm guidance before and during the interview, which greatly reduced our stress and gave us confidence. We also deeply appreciate Kamila's hard work, patience, and responsiveness throughout the process. For sorting…
I would like to sincerely thank Attorney Justin Burton and PL Kamila Lada for support with my adjustment of status case. I have been working with the firm for over a year now, and I have received nothing short of exceptional services and support throughout various cases for myself and family members. Highly recommend consulting and retaining this firm.
We have been in the dark with our case for over 2 decades, while working with other big firms who just kept me in the dark and sat on our case without making any effort to move it forward until I met the wonderful team at Kriezelman & Burton. AO and JP are truly God-sent angels who with their knowledge, collaboration, sense of direction and outside the box thinking, managed…
Highly recommend attorney Kevin Raica and attorney Agata Bigdanowicz. They were super helpful, responded on time, and won my case in record time. It took about a month and half in total for me to get my approval after filing!
Brittni Rivera and her team (Carina Lopez) are fantastic! They are responsive, efficient and beyond compassionate. Brittni Rivera and her team treated me with dignity and respect as they patiently answered all of my questions. They didn't move on without making sure I understood each step. Their work ethic was impressive. It felt like they were an extension of my personal team. I can't say enough to convey my gratitude…
Huge thanks to Attorney Matthew for his incredible support on our immigration case! 🙏 He was professional, responsive, and his expertise led to a successful outcome. We truly appreciate his hard work and highly recommend his service.
I’m deeply grateful to God for leading us to this law firm; it is a true blessing to work with such professional and passionate individuals. Their dedication and commitment help make a difficult situation far less traumatic. In our case, we received 100% support from Attorney Andrea Ochoa and paralegal Rafael. May God bless them and allow them to continue this wonderful work. Thank you—a thousand thanks.
I give my total recommendation and trust in this great organization that has supported me and my family in very difficult times, especially the lawyer Andrea Ochoa and her paralegal Rafael who were little angels that God has sent us to be able to face all the obstacles that we have had along the way. Thank you very much with all my heart. ❤️
I have heard from several people that Brittni is a great attorney. When my friend was detained, I recommended Brittni to take his case. She did an amazing job putting together all the necessary information, especially given that we had only a couple of days to submit the habeas corpus application. She and her team worked very professionally and provided clear guidance throughout. She stayed in touch consistently and was…
Schedule a consultation!:
Umów się na konsultację!
Libertyville
Reklama prawnika. Informacje te mają wyłącznie charakter ogólny. Przedstawionych informacji nie należy interpretować jako formalnej porady prawnej ani tworzenia relacji prawnik/klient. Wcześniejsze wyniki i referencje nie stanowią gwarancji, rękojmi ani przewidywania wyniku Twojej sprawy i nie powinny być w ten sposób interpretowane. Wyniki z przeszłości nie mogą zagwarantować przyszłych wyników. Jakikolwiek wynik w pojedynczej sprawie nie ma na celu stworzenia oczekiwań podobnych wyników w przyszłych sprawach, ponieważ każdy przypadek wiąże się z wieloma różnymi czynnikami, dlatego też wyniki będą się różnić w każdym przypadku. Podając dane kontaktowe, użytkownicy potwierdzają i wyrażają wyraźną zgodę na kontakt za pośrednictwem udostępnionych metod komunikacji, w tym wiadomości SMS. Mogą obowiązywać stawki za wiadomości i transmisję danych. Częstotliwość wiadomości może się różnić. Odpowiedz STOP, aby zrezygnować.
NUVEW | Prawo autorskie 2026 Wszelkie prawa zastrzeżone | Informacja o dostępności | polityka prywatności