It was getting real complicated there for a while. There was a time when it was not that hard to figure out if someone was removable for a crime. Let’s start with the basics. Non-citizens of the United States who commit crimes can be deported for them.  Consider a non-citizen, called an alien under immigration laws, who committed a crime. We’ll call him a Criminal Alien, or CA. CA is convicted of murder. When he is done with his prison…

Nearly a year ago, I posted two blogs, this and this, about a case from the Board of Immigration Appeals, Matter of Almanza-Arenas, which reversed precedent in the Ninth Circuit regarding showing eligibility for Cancellation of Removal for Certain Permanent Residents, INA § 240A(a). This Cancellation of Removal, there are two others, allows permanent residents to keep their permanent residence status after committing removable offenses or engaging in conduct that renders one removable. To be eligible, an alien must have at…

Immigration lawyers involved in advising aliens who have been arrested and their criminal defense attorneys have honed skills in trying to mitigate the effects of a criminal conviction on immigration status. In other words, attorneys try to find ways for an alien to plead guilty so he or she will not be deportable, or if he or she cannot avoid deportation, he or she will at least be able to ask for relief (forgiveness) so as not to be deported….