How Does Being Charged With a Federal Crime Affect My Immigration Status?
The federal court system is very different than the state court system. If you are ever charged with a federal crime, the first thing you should do is contact a Southern California federal crimes attorney. This is especially true if your immigration status is in question.
In some instances, a person may or may not know if he/she is a U.S. citizen. For example, birth abroad does not automatically exclude U.S. citizenship because a person may acquire or derive U.S. citizenship from one or both parents.
The immigration code sections setting forth the rules on acquisition and derivation of citizenship are among the most difficult to decipher, and Congress frequently amends the relevant statutes, sometimes making the new provisions retroactive and sometimes prospective.
Whether an individual born abroad has acquired or derived U.S. citizenship turns on the confluence of several factors, including:
• Year of the person’s birth
• Whether both parents are U.S. citizens?
• If not, which parent?
• When the parent(s) became citizen(s)?
• The marital status of the parents
• If born out of wedlock, whether the person was legitimated?
• The length of time the citizen parent(s) resided in the U.S. prior to the person’s birth abroad
• Whether the person was legally admitted to or resided in the U.S.
• Whether the non-citizen’s parents, grandparents or great-grandparents were born in the U.S. or ever became naturalized U.S. citizens
To navigate through the Federal Court system successfully and have a better chance of not being charged with a Federal Crime, you must contact Wallin & Klarich to help you or your loved one. With over 30 years of experience as Federal Criminal Lawyers, Wallin & Klarich will assist you in this difficult time. Visit our website at www.wklaw.com or call us at 888-749-0034. We will be there when you call.
