Criminal Charges and Immigration Consequences
If you are not a US citizen, any contact with the criminal justice system can have immigration consequences. Some convictions make deportation mandatory. Others can make you inadmissible or unable to naturalize. Know the risks before you accept any plea deal.
Reviewed by Gracie Johnson, Certified Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law, State Bar of California, California State Bar #276536
Last reviewed: July 2, 2026
Under immigration law, certain criminal convictions are classified as 'aggravated felonies' and carry mandatory deportation with no discretionary relief. Aggravated felonies include drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, murder, rape, sexual abuse of a minor, theft or fraud with a sentence of one year or more, and many others. The category is extremely broad under immigration law and includes many offenses that are only misdemeanors under state law.
A 'crime involving moral turpitude' (CIMT) can make a non-citizen inadmissible or deportable. CIMTs generally include crimes involving fraud, deceit, dishonesty, serious violence, or sexual misconduct. A single CIMT conviction can affect green card applications, naturalization, and entry or re-entry to the US.
Drug convictions are particularly dangerous in immigration proceedings. Any conviction for possession, use, or distribution of a controlled substance (other than a single possession offense for 30 grams or less of marijuana under limited circumstances) can make a non-citizen permanently inadmissible and deportable.
If you are facing criminal charges, get both a criminal defense attorney and an immigration attorney involved before you accept any plea deal. What seems like a 'minor' plea deal to your criminal attorney may be catastrophic for your immigration case. We review plea options and advise on immigration consequences. Call (310) 554-4630.
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Also available in Spanish: Cargos Criminales y Consecuencias de Inmigración