Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Burress, a former New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver was convicted of attempted possession of a firearm and reckless endangerment on August 20, 2009, in New York City. A firearms offense is a deportable offense. INA § 237(a)(2)(C). The statute includes attempts to possess a firearm. A permanent resident is able to seek forgiveness for a firearms offense pursuant to INA § 240A(a) if he has accrued five years of permanent residence and seven years of residence after an admission. In a legal curiosity, firearms offenses are not grounds of inadmissibility, so Mr. Burress could also seek relief through becoming a permanent resident, even if he already was one. To do this he would need to be petitioned by a United States citizen spouse or an adult (over age 21) son or daughter. He apparently has a United States citizen spouse. An immigration judge would have to weigh the positive and negative equities in Mr. Burress’s life in deciding to forgive him or re-adjust his status. Posted May 12, 2011.
Thanks. Please, readers, send me recommendations of people who would be deported if they were foreigners, particularly if you would hate to see it happen.
I applaud your creative use of the Plaxico Burress saga to educate and comment on U.S. immigration law. Gr8 post! –JB