tough penalties !!! (merged)

[ram_kumar 0]

Didn't really know the risks being a permanent resident, came across this article:

http://immigrantdefenseproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/IJN-Aggravated-Felony-Factsheet.pdf

Alfer years of struggles this would be unfortunate. Need to support efforts to make meaningful changes !!

[ram_kumar 0]

http://immigrantdefenseproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/IJN-Aggravated-Felony-Factsheet.pdf

This is bad that even legal permanent residents are not really given due process and have very tough penalties.

[Operator 1,927]

People shouldn't break the law, it's pretty simple really.

[belinda63 3,047]

You have due process. You have the right to confront the accuser and have a trial by a jury of your peers. If you are found guilty you deserve to be deported. There are enough good people who want to come to the USA to contribute to society without us needing to keep the bad ones.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

The solution do not commit felonies.

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

Didn't really know the risks being a permanent resident, came across this article:

http://immigrantdefenseproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/IJN-Aggravated-Felony-Factsheet.pdf

Alfer years of struggles this would be unfortunate. Need to support efforts to make meaningful changes !!

Well, y'know, it's interesting reading these forums and seeing people who didn't know all sorts of stuff...from how to fill in a DV entry form (because they didn't read the instructions) to what people entering on K1 need to do (not been there so not sure how much info available admittedly) ..to... Apparently not knowing, despite the multitude of information available about keeping your green card, that you can get your green card revoked and deported for committing crimes. Edited May 26, 2014 by SusieQQQ

[Darnell 8,479]

Didn't really know the risks being a permanent resident, came across this article:

http://immigrantdefenseproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/IJN-Aggravated-Felony-Factsheet.pdf

Alfer years of struggles this would be unfortunate. Need to support efforts to make meaningful changes !!

i would support efforts to enforce the laws and get folk deported instead.

Sorry.

Immigrant status is a priviledge - keeping it requires actual work. and knowledge... and knowledge acquisition.

[Mina90 134]

Didn't really know the risks being a permanent resident, came across this article:

http://immigrantdefenseproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/IJN-Aggravated-Felony-Factsheet.pdf

Alfer years of struggles this would be unfortunate. Need to support efforts to make meaningful changes !!

Why would it be unfortunate? Why would anyone want criminals/felons to stay?

[Darnell 8,479]

Didn't really know the risks being a permanent resident, came across this article:

http://immigrantdefenseproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/IJN-Aggravated-Felony-Factsheet.pdf

Alfer years of struggles this would be unfortunate. Need to support efforts to make meaningful changes !!

When the news media writes of 'immigrants' - mostly -

they are writing about 'illegal aliens'

and that should help you shift your thinking--in a massive sort-of-way...

[AmyWrites 593]

If a person who moves to the US cannot follow simple US rules and laws, I say deport them quickly and I wouldn't mind my tax dollars going towards that. It's not that hard to avoid becoming a criminal.

[Robert&Karen 264]

Australia started out as a land of criminals.

And I knew of an Australian immigrant who stole a car at 18, He was convicted and went on with life with a green card. When he was 40 he was arrested for shoplifting. The previous conviction at 18 came to light, and as it was a felony, he was deported to Australia. He came to America with his parents when he was 1 year old. The law sending him back was an administrative one, not a criminal one, so there was no grandfathering.

What will this law do? Some of the immigrants wil go underground. This is a very easy country in which to vanish, just stay out of contact with anyone in authority and live a quiet life.

I'm all for removing those who are violent criminals. They say that 3% of the people in prisons are there because they are evil. The rest are people who made a dumb mistake and got caught. Our prisons are overflowing with people who will not harm anyone. A waste.

In the news recently an immigrant in Chicago was absolved of a crime, his explanation was "Cultural Divide." Yep, he successfully argued that the culture of the USA and the home country differ too much to simply change right away. And won.

For those of you who simply say, "Yup, they broke the law, send them up the river, families be damned," well I hope you never experience anyone you know ever breaking the law anywhere. You may find out the hard way that heartless is not always the right thing to do.

[phd1974 17]

For serious crimes ... I can see ..... ... but getitng in a fight and pulling hair over a boyfriend = deportation ... now that's not right.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Australia started out as a land of criminals.

And I knew of an Australian immigrant who stole a car at 18, He was convicted and went on with life with a green card. When he was 40 he was arrested for shoplifting. The previous conviction at 18 came to light, and as it was a felony, he was deported to Australia. He came to America with his parents when he was 1 year old. The law sending him back was an administrative one, not a criminal one, so there was no grandfathering.

What will this law do? Some of the immigrants wil go underground. This is a very easy country in which to vanish, just stay out of contact with anyone in authority and live a quiet life.

I'm all for removing those who are violent criminals. They say that 3% of the people in prisons are there because they are evil. The rest are people who made a dumb mistake and got caught. Our prisons are overflowing with people who will not harm anyone. A waste.

In the news recently an immigrant in Chicago was absolved of a crime, his explanation was "Cultural Divide." Yep, he successfully argued that the culture of the USA and the home country differ too much to simply change right away. And won.

For those of you who simply say, "Yup, they broke the law, send them up the river, families be damned," well I hope you never experience anyone you know ever breaking the law anywhere. You may find out the hard way that heartless is not always the right thing to do.

The conviction would have also prevented your Australian example from obtaining US citizenship. The "good moral character" requirement has been part of US naturalization law since 1790, though if he would have applied for citizenship before 1996 he wouldn't have been automatically deported. He would only have been denied naturalization. As of now, any contact with authorities can result in a permanent resident being deported if they have ever committed or admit to having committed a deportable offense, which includes most felonies.

FWIW, US immigration law does not consider deportation to be a "penalty". Deportation is considered corrective active. The problem: the person being deported shouldn't be here. The correction action: send them back to the country where they came from. If a person was born in Australia then US law does not and should not consider returning there to be a "penalty". There are exceptions, such as when the alien's home country is embroiled in war, or when the alien would face persecution if they returned, or if their US citizen relatives would face severe hardship if they were forced to leave. Those people might be eligible for asylum or cancelation of removal. Otherwise, the US generally doesn't roll out the welcome mat for criminals, or continue to accomodate those who become criminals in the US.

Additionally, a permanent resident convicted of a crime in Australia is also subject to deportation. If the minister uses section 501 of the Migration Act then the alien doesn't even have a right to appeal the decision. They are detained until removed.

[Ortolan 381]

I doubt anyone would be removed for simply "pulling hair in a fight over a boyfriend." Really.

The laws are quite plain, and pretty simple to follow: Don't steal stuff. Don't deal drugs. Don't hurt other people.

Obey the laws of the country you're in, whatever country it is...they decided this stuff long before you got here. Do this, and everything else will be okay.

[ram_kumar 0]

Agree that people committing crime should be punished equivalent to the crime. A bit surprised with some of the comments who seem to be quite gungho about deporting people - the current laws are extremely disproportional and most likely a lot of people haven't looked into it - until they get hit by deportation for minor crimes : Perhaps some people feel its fine to deport someone who has been here for decades with possibly us citizen children for crimes like drug possession, bar fights etc. Thats pretty cruel... These crimes will probably get community service normally - but you can get deported !!!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/06/05/immigration-reform-column/2388851/

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/11/why-are-immigrants-being-deported-for-minor-crimes/281622/

http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/ones-they-leave-behind-deportation-lawful-permanent-residents-harm-us-citizen-children

And this is equally true for legal immigrants.