Driving under the influence is a serious offense. There are harsh penalties that people may face for committing DUIs, including fines and imprisonment in some cases.
The good news is that most DUI cases won’t result in deportation, but if you’re an immigrant who is in the country illegally or on a visa, you should still be sure to get to know more about your rights before deciding how to move forward with your defense. In some cases, such as if you were reckless and harmed another person, you could end up facing deportation.
Driving under the influence can be a deportation-worthy offense
Sometimes, driving under the influence is enough to result in deportation. As a non-citizen, you may need to be concerned if you get a DUI while a child is in your vehicle, while under the influence of illegal drugs or if you have multiple convictions on your record.
Even if you aren’t deported for this crime, you could face future inadmissibility. So, if that happens, you may not be able to renew your visa to stay in the country. In other cases, your right to obtain citizenship or naturalization may be affected.
Will you be deported for driving under the influence if you’re in the United States illegally?
It’s not likely that you’ll be deported for driving under the influence. Instead, you may face deportation for being in the United States illegally. There may be methods of protecting yourself if you find yourself in that situation, so make sure to learn more about your legal options and to consider alternative methods of staying in the United States, such as by seeking asylum to remain in the country legally.
If you are stopped and accused of drunk driving, your first priority has to be to build a defense against that charge. Then, if there are other factors involved in your case, such as being in the country illegally or being concerned about admissibility issues, you can go over those independently. It’s your right to fight against a conviction so that you can avoid penalties such as a risk of deportation.