Legal Question in Immigration Law in Washington

Re: Inquiring over possibility of deportation over possion charges

That is sad to hear. Nearly any drug conviction can be grounds for deportation of any alien. I am no criminal law expert, but I understand that drug paraphrenalia and even residue can be grounds for a charge of violation of some part of the WA criminal law. Local police do not have deportation authority. BUt sometimes they do work with INS. It sounds like your friend should get very good criminal law advice and good immigration advice to know where he or she stands. Unfortunately you cannot believe the police in many situations like this. They can lie.

Re: Inquiring over possibility of deportation over possion charges

Your friend needs to have either a competent criminal attorney with immigration knowledge or a criminal defense attorney working with an immigration lawyer to review the immigration consequences of any potential disposition of the criminal matter and negotiate with the prosecution accordingly. I have worked with criminal defense counsel in many cases like this, and I know I am not alone among immigration attorneys. With the ramifications of criminal matters on immigration law, this must be a serious consideration.

Also, if the student is in nonimmigrant student status, expulsion from school could cause a deportation charge in and of itself. Best of luck.

Eric Schultz (716-854-1541)