Any person that is not a US citizen can be subject to removal from the US if they are found to be inadmissible or deportable.
Who is inadmissible?
Any person seeking admission to the US that is not allowed to because it is determined that one or more ground of inadmissibility applies is inadmissible. Sometimes this includes lawful permanent residents or green card holders.
Grounds of inadmissibility cover the following areas: Health, criminal, national security, immigration violations, and economic.
Who is deportable?
Any individual that was inspected and admitted to the US but that is now removable due to one or more grounds of deportability. This includes lawful permanent residents or green card holders.
Grounds of deportability cover the following areas: Persons that should not have been admitted to the US, immigration status violations, economic, national security/political, unlawful voting, and criminal.
Let’s consider two different scenarios:
Javier is a national of Chile and is traveling to the US with a tourist visa. At the airport in Orlando, the Customs and Border Protection officer finds out that Javier has a criminal conviction for trafficking in a controlled substance. Javier’s conviction is a ground of inadmissibility and he is denied admission to the US. Javier returns to Chile on the next available flight.
Armando, a lawful permanent resident, is conviction for attempted murder and sentenced to 10 years in state prison. Armando’s conviction is a ground of deportability and he will be placed in removal proceedings.
During this series, we will focus on the criminal grounds of inadmissibility and deportability, but keep in mind that there are many other reasons why someone would be denied admission to the US or would be deported after being granted admission.
Contact Attorney Evelyn today to discuss any immigration issues you may be experiencing.