The U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) is a comprehensive federal law that deals with immigration, naturalization, and the exclusion of aliens. The INA established numerous grounds upon which an immigrant may be removed from the United States and deported back to their country of origin. After a non-citizen has successfully become a U.S. citizen, they may not face immediate grounds of deportation, barring certain exceptions.
However, an immigrant may face deportation if they violate the terms of their visa, green card or other status. Other grounds for deportation include:
- Committing marriage fraud
- Knowingly helping smuggle any alien trying to enter the U.S.
- Conviction of a crime involving immorality that was committed within five years of residing in the United States
- Violating travel and documentation restrictions
- Conviction of child abuse, domestic violence, or child abandonment, at any time after entering the United States
- Committing human trafficking
- Conviction of an aggravated felony after entering the United States
- Conviction for most controlled substances
Even if the immigration authorities believe that the immigrant is deportable, they will not be removed from the country right away. In many cases, the immigrant may defend their case in immigration court. For certain types of deportability, the law may provide legal forgiveness that the immigrant can apply for which can be addressed with the assistance of an immigration lawyer.