You get a lot of time to think when sitting in a police cell. You think of your mother back home, who relies on the money you wire each month. You remember how proud she was when you told her you were going to live in the United States and how she cried the day you left and said she’d miss you. It turns out she might be seeing you again sooner than she thought.
You think about your kids, how their hopes of getting a good education and having a promising future will be lost. Then there’s your wife — she trusted you, she trusted you when you said it was all going to be alright, that it would all work out in the end, this new life you brought her to.
After working so hard to gain the right to live in the United States, you could be about to lose it all if they find you guilty of these criminal charges. Certain offenses can lead to deportation. They are categorized into aggravated felonies or crimes of moral turpitude:
- Aggravated felonies: These include murder, rape, trafficking, firearm offenses and other violent crimes.
- Crimes of moral turpitude: These include trust-related crimes such as embezzlement, perjury and fraud, and things like shoplifting or assault.
If you are an immigrant facing criminal charges, you must seek legal advice from a criminal defense attorney. Being found guilty could end your American dream, and that of your family too, unless they can find a way to stay in the country without you.