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A conviction for a crime of moral turpitude can result in your deportation from the U.S. 

On Behalf of | Jun 7, 2021 | Criminal Defense, Immigration Law |

You came here to the U.S. in search of a better life than what your home country could offer you. You now find yourself facing criminal charges. 

If you haven’t yet secured U.S. citizenship, then you might be at risk of not ever being able to do so. You may even be facing deportation, depending on the criminal charges that you’re facing. 

Are you facing charges for a crime of moral turpitude?

There are certain types of crimes that the prosecutors and other government officials, including immigration ones, classify as crimes of moral turpitude. Almost any crime that they consider to violate public consciousness or immoral falls under this umbrella, including: 

  • Violent crimes: Some examples of this offense include rape, murder, aggravated assault, kidnapping and manslaughter.
  • White-collar offenses: Some examples of this crime include fraud, bribery and theft.
  • Drug crimes: Even simple possession charges for something like marijuana can be considered a moral crime.

These same government officials may consider crimes such as smuggling, prostitution, arson and creating mayhem as moral turpitude offenses as well. 

Why does a crime of moral turpitude affect immigration status?

The Immigration Act of 1952 made it lawful for the U.S. to exclude individuals convicted of moral turpitude crimes from immigrating to the U.S. Because of this, your immigration status in the U.S. is on the line right up until you secure citizenship. You may have your visa revoked and face deportation back to your home country after serving prison time on any criminal conviction in the U.S. 

You shouldn’t ever take any criminal charges lightly, but that’s especially the case when your immigration status isn’t secure. Continue to browse our website to learn more about what the penalties are for the crimes that you’re facing before attempting to devise a defense strategy in your case.